Rare Sierra Nevada red fox spotted in Yosemite National Park (w/video)

SAN FRANCISCO — The first confirmed sighting of a rare Sierra Nevada red fox in Yosemite National Park in nearly a century has been confirmed by park officials.

Park wildlife biologists who were on a backcountry trip to the far northern part of the park documented two sightings since early December.

The Sierra Nevada red fox of California is one of the rarest mammals in North America, with likely fewer than 50 left.

The nearest verified occurrences of Sierra Nevada red foxes have been in the Sonora Pass area, north of the park, where biologists say a small population was first documented in 2010. Prior to that, the last verified sighting of a Sierra Nevada red fox in that area was two decades ago. The species hasn't been seen in the park in nearly 100 years.