2017-05-11 - Press release from Felles Fjellrev: In april two arctic foxes with suspected sarcoptic mange were observed in the area around the border between Jämtlands and Västerbottens län.

Sonja Almroth, ranger at the county board administration in Västerbotten saw pictures of the foxes taken by camera traps in April. More pictures has since confirmed the observations.

Counter measures are carried out in the area to save the infected arctic foxes. Medication is distributed in bait, and infected red foxes are culled.

- Last time mange was observed in a Scandinavian artcic fox population was 2013-2014. Then they were successfully treated in the same way.We know what to do and will work as hard as we can to make sure that the foxes survive says Lars Liljemark, responsible for field work at the county board administration in Jämtland.

Jan Paul Bolstad, from Miljødirektoratet in Norway: – We follow the work of our Swedish collegues. The foxes move freely across the border, so we are intensifying our surveillance on the Norwegian side of the border..

The whole press release is to be found at the website of Västerbotten county administrative board.