First photographic evidence of the Tibetan fox in Bhutan

Abstract

The Tibetan fox Vulpes ferrilata is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, yet its ecology and distribution remain poorly documented. Here, we report the first photographic evidence of the Tibetan fox in Bhutan, recorded during the nationwide snow leopard Panthera uncia camera-trap survey (2022–2023) at a single station at 4,582m a.s.l. near the Bhutan–China border, under the Divisional Forest Office Paro. The survey also photographed the woolly hare Lepus oiostolus, providing the first confirmed national record. These findings emphasise the conservation significance of Bhutan’s northern alpine landscapes as biodiversity-rich ecosystems. Retrospective screening of existing camera-trap images and targeted alpine surveys are recommended to clarify the species’ distribution and ecology. This record extends the species confirmed range southward into the eastern Himalaya.