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Discovering Roxy: A 26, 000-Year-Old Fox in a Utah Cave

Whiterocks Cave, Uinta Mountains, USATuesday, January 7, 2025

Imagine a time when the world was much colder and humans were just starting to roam the earth. In a remote cave in Utah, a team of scientists and cavers found something extraordinary: a nearly complete skeleton of a red fox. This isn't just any fox; it's one that lived over 26, 000 years ago, during the Ice Age. The fox, now called 'Roxy, ' was discovered deep inside Whiterocks Cave in the Uinta Mountains. Red foxes, which are found all over the world, entered North America around 300, 000 to 130, 000 years ago.

But how did Roxy end up so far inside the cave? Scientists are still puzzled. The journey to get Roxy out was challenging and took nearly 16 hours. Now, after being in the dark for thousands of years, Roxy will finally be seen by visitors at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum.

utah field house of natural history state park museum north america uinta mountains whiterocks cave roxy

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