A valuable and rare Blandford's fox has been recently sighted wandering around Yakhab Wildlife Sanctuary in Isfahan Province. The animal was caught on camera by park rangers while patrolling the area along with the forces at the protection unit of the Department of Environment, Mehr News Agency reported. Reportedly, there have been few sightings of the threatened animal all through the country, but the current sighting raised hopes over revival of the population and protection of the rare species. Categorized under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's list of threatened species, Blandford's fox is a small fox found in certain regions of the Middle East and Central Asia. Stretching over 271,000 hectares, Yakhab was declared a no-hunting zone in 2013. It is located close to Aran-va-Bidgol, a desert county in the northernmost region of Isfahan Province. Animals such as the golden eagle, wild sheep and caracal roam the region. The area is also home to a variety of threatened species, including bustard and monitor lizard.
