A native predator that almost vanished from the city. The grey fox ranges from Canada to Colombia, but in Mexico City it is close to gone. The last confirmed sighting in the Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel, at the UNAM, was in 2007. A project has been under study to bring it back.
What the reserve is. 237.33 hectares of lava field inside the university campus — the largest surviving fragment of the ecosystem that formed when the Xitle volcano erupted and covered this part of the valley. It holds thousands of native plant and animal species in the middle of a metropolis of twenty million.
Why the fox went. Urban growth around and inside Ciudad Universitaria brought road deaths, food scarcity and disease. Thirty-seven mammal species remain in the reserve; the fox is not reliably among them.
Why reintroduction is plausible. The grey fox is an adaptable survivor, and the reserve's food supply suits its diet, which makes it a realistic candidate for re-establishing a population. The reserve's own department has stressed that the site's condition has to be assessed first.
What you can see there now. The reserve has marked trails and guided visits by arrangement; the lava landscape, the native pedregal vegetation and the birdlife are reason enough. Metro Universidad and Copilco, line 3, serve the campus. Check access arrangements with the reserve before going — much of it is closed to unaccompanied visitors for exactly the reasons above.
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