Removing protected populations to save endangered species

Conservation of species threatened with imminent extinction may require drastic measures that can be emotionally charged, politically unsavory, and legally challeng-ing. A complex example relates to the de-cline of the island fox (Urocyon littoralis), endemic to the California Channel Islands, off the coast of the United States. The island fox exists as six subspecies, each found on a separate island. Seri-ous population crashes re-cently occurred on three is-lands after colonization by golden eagles (Aquila chry