![Snow patrol Inside the fight to save arctic foxes](https://cdn.magzter.com/1588175420/1718941660/articles/ahrw6sn8t1718957445557/SNOW-PATROL-INSIDE-THE-FIGHT-TO-SAVE-ARCTIC-FOXES.jpg)
Deep in the Norwegian mountains, amid a vast expanse of bright snow and howling winds, Toralf Mjøen throws a piece of meat into a fenced enclosure and waits for a pair of dark eyes to appear from the snowy den.
These curious and playful arctic foxes know Mjøen well. He has been the caretaker at this breeding facility for 17 years, going up the mountain daily to feed them at their enclosures near the small village of Oppdal, about 400km north of Oslo.
But Mjøen's familiarity with the species stretches back much further, from his years working at his father's fox farm, where the animals were bred for their fur. Now, years after the fur farms have been shut down, the arctic fox has become a symbol of conservation in Norway. Its long-term fate here, however, is still in doubt.
"Sometimes," Mjøen said, "we can't do anything but try."
Saving an animal from extinction is often seen as a series of dramatic steps, such as banning hunting, to bring a species back from the brink. But for arctic foxes and other recovering but fragile animal populations around the world, Mjøen said: "It's all about small steps."
Every year since 2006, the Norwegian breeding programme has released captive-born foxes into the wild. Measured strictly by the numbers, it's working: the population of arctic foxes has increased more than tenfold and they have spread into Finland and Sweden.
But the research team running the recovery project still feels it is far from the finish line. Over the past five years especially, killings by golden eagles at the breeding station and increased inbreeding in the wild have complicated the rescue operation.
"The problems we're facing today are actually because of the success of the programme," said the project's leader, Craig Jackson, of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (Nina).
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 21, 2024-Ausgabe von The Guardian Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 21, 2024-Ausgabe von The Guardian Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
![Dangerous Alliance Putin And Kim Are The Odd Couple With A Dual Mission](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/uEKyeu5451719558107995/crp_DANGEROUS-ALLIANCE-PUTIN-AND-KIM-ARE-THE-ODD-COUPLE-WITH-A-DUAL-MISSION.jpg)
Dangerous Alliance Putin And Kim Are The Odd Couple With A Dual Mission
They make an odd couple. One is smiley-faced and chubby. The other is thin-lipped and scowls a lot.
![Evangelicals On Crusade To Return Trump To Presidency](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/G-YRLqrPf1719559082295/crp_EVANGELICALS-ON-CRUSADE-TO-RETURN-TRUMP-TO-PRESIDENCY.jpg)
Evangelicals On Crusade To Return Trump To Presidency
God's army is on the march. And many of its foot soldiers are wearing Make America Great Again regalia, sensing that their unlikely standard-bearer, former US president Donald Trump, is once again close to the promised land.
![Friends Reunited What Can Russia And North Korea Do For Each Other?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/aQs916T6m1719557958763/crp_FRIENDS-REUNITED-WHAT-CAN-RUSSIA-AND-NORTH-KOREA-DO-FOR-EACH-OTHER.jpg)
Friends Reunited What Can Russia And North Korea Do For Each Other?
China accounts for more than 90% of North Korea's trade and has been its most dependable aid donor and diplomatic ally.
![Tensions Rise On Border As War Looms](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/bLdjbA-DK1719558717144/crp_TENSIONS-RISE-ON-BORDER-AS-WAR-LOOMS.jpg)
Tensions Rise On Border As War Looms
Doctors prepare for casualties, people flee their homes and apprehension hangs in the air as threat grows of conflict with Hezbollah
![The Prosecution Of Roy Is A Stark Warning From Modi To His Critics Salil Tripathi](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/Vqvuuonye1719559976219/crp_THE-PROSECUTION-OF-ROY-IS-A-STARK-WARNING-FROM-MODI-TO-HIS-CRITICS-SALIL-TRIPATHI.jpg)
The Prosecution Of Roy Is A Stark Warning From Modi To His Critics Salil Tripathi
This month, the highest ranking bureaucrat of the state of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, permitted the Delhi police to prosecute Arundhati Roy (pictured), and Sheikh Showkat Hussain for remarks they made at a public event 14 years ago.
![Heads up Road deaths prompt a rethink over bike helmets](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/oKI6I-6zF1719560816312/HEADS-UP-ROAD-DEATHS-PROMPT-A-RETHINK-OVER-BIKE-HELMETS.jpg)
Heads up Road deaths prompt a rethink over bike helmets
When 42-year-old Myrthe Boss gets on her bike to go shopping in the Dutch town of Ede, she pops on a helmet.
![How Easter Island is swamped by deluge of plastic](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/_ckmlXWmi1719560645633/HOW-EASTER-ISLAND-IS-SWAMPED-BY-DELUGE-OF-PLASTIC.jpg)
How Easter Island is swamped by deluge of plastic
Ocean currents are dumping tides of multinational rubbish on to the shores of one of the world's most remote habitats
![Bold ideas for a well-dressed salad - and without the need for oil](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/Q2TpyS_UD1719560434641/BOLD-IDEAS-FOR-A-WELLDRESSED-SALAD-AND-WITHOUT-THE-NEED-FOR-OIL.jpg)
Bold ideas for a well-dressed salad - and without the need for oil
It's hard to deny the transformative power of a good salad dressing, but you don't need much oil, if any. Honey, for example, will give \"a natural stickiness that helps adhesion to your salad, while the sweetness balances the acidity of vinegar\", says Tony Rodd, head chef at Pomus in Margate
![The German theatre that puts climate centre stage](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/APT2A8FD21719560346362/THE-GERMAN-THEATRE-THAT-PUTS-CLIMATE-CENTRE-STAGE.jpg)
The German theatre that puts climate centre stage
As part of a wider project to reduce its carbon footprint, a Potsdam theatre is reusing props, recycling costumes and doubling up tickets as transport passes
![Out of the shadows](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/21668/1747903/eOYIk7XPZ1719560133674/OUT-OF-THE-SHADOWS.jpg)
Out of the shadows
Anthony McCall made his name with 'light sculptures' that people could enter. But a show in Sweden led to 20 years in the wilderness