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A family of at least five swift foxes — a species once extirpated in Canada — has been found living in Alberta’s grasslands, suggesting conservation efforts in the area continue to be successful.

The family was spotted south of Medicine Hat about 50 kilometres off the Saskatchewan border. Their exact location can’t be disclosed because the land is owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, which wants to keep the foxes as safe as possible.

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When the conservancy purchased the property in 2010, no swift foxes lived there. The animals have been seen in the surrounding area since, but according to the Alberta communication co-ordinator, Carys Richards, each new sighting is exciting because it shows conservation efforts are working.

“This is a species that was once wiped out in Alberta, so the fact that we’re starting to see them again is a really great conservation success story,” she said.

Reaching a maximum weight of three kilograms, the full-grown swift fox is often mistaken for a baby coyote. But they’re fast, travelling up to 60 kilometres per hour, lending to the “swift” in their name.