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The Independent
15-07-2025
- The Independent
Sly as a... National park rangers blame sneaky fox for theft of 32 pairs of shoes
"WANTED" posters have been hung up in Grand Teton National Park to warn visitors that they may be visited by a sneaky thief if they aren't careful. A shoe-stealing fox has snatched at least 32 shoes from campers and other visitors to the Wyoming national park in the last several weeks. The thefts prompted park rangers to hang "WANTED" posters warning campers about the fox — whose aliases include "Sneaker Snatcher," "The Midnight Mismatcher' and "Swiper the Fox" — and advising them on how best protect their footwear. Campers should keep their shoes in a secure location — like a bear box, inside their vehicles, or at very least inside their tents — to avoid losing them to the fox. Officials told Backpack magazine they aren't entirely sure if it's one fox or a group of foxes stealing the shoes, but in either case, they want the thefts to stop. Unfortunately, the park's warning seems to have backfired. According to a post on the park's Instagram account, the warnings apparently only encouraged the visitors to leave out their shoes in hopes of catching a glimpse of the larcenous fox and its potential accomplices. 'What does the fox do with the shoes? We still don't know,' the park said in a social media post. 'Maybe it's a toy. Maybe it's a nesting material collection. Maybe it's fashion.' Emily Davis, a spokesperson for Grand Teton National Park, told Backpacker that the shoe heists are quite real, and the park's response — though lighthearted in tone — is to educate guests, not encourage interaction with the foxes. 'We were trying to educate our visitors in a fun way about this fox and not to habituate it,' Davis told the magazine. Park officials aren't sure why the fox or foxes keep targeting shoes. It could be that they are attracted to the salty sweat left in them after a day of hiking. But foxes are also generally mischievous and this one may simply just enjoy playing with shoes. Whatever the reason, the thefts mean that a fox or foxes are venturing closer to humans and doing so regularly. When wild animals become too comfortable around humans, it can lead to unfortunate outcomes for both. In general, the park service asks visitors to always stay at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards away from other animals, such as foxes. 'The NPS used humor to share the story of the sly shoe stealer, but they also pointed out that it's a problem for the fox to get acclimated to humans because it may need to be relocated or, in the worst-case scenario, euthanized,' the NPS wrote in an Instagram caption. Davis said that hikers and campers in the park should store their food, cosmetics and — at least during this latest crimewave — their unworn shoes inside of bear boxes. For those who don't camp, a bear box is a reinforced metal box meant to keep bears out. For visitors who do see a fox shoe theft, the best course of action is to contact a ranger so they can follow up. For visitors who do not see a fox shoe theft, you might want to check your feet, because your shoes may already be gone.
Axios
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Which D.C.-area national parks lost the most workers
More than 750 national park workers have been fired amid the Trump administration's purge of federal employees, per an unofficial tally shared with Axios by a park ranger. Why it matters: Our region is home to over 70 national parks that draw millions of visitors each year, from the National Mall to Shenandoah — and the layoffs have left fewer workers to do critical jobs as peak spring/summer season begins. By the numbers: Shenandoah National Park is among the hardest-hit, per the tally, with 15 people fired. Nearly 40 employees were fired from the National Capital Region, which encompasses 15 designated parklands, including Great Falls, Glen Echo, the Mall, Rock Creek Park, and Civil War battlegrounds like Gettysburg and Manassas. Some of the hardest-hit include Harpers Ferry (9), Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (6) and National Capital Parks East (6), which includes Frederick Douglass, Fort Washington and more. What they're saying: "I don't think the parks are equipped to be able to handle the visitation that they get," says the ranger who shared the tally with Axios, adding that the stakes go far beyond long lines, crowded campsites and dirty bathrooms. "The odds of search-and-rescue missions turning into recoveries [of dead bodies] will be a lot higher this year than most," the ranger says. "There will be more people dying this year than probably any other year, and that's entirely due to the lack of staffing." About 250 people die annually on NPS-managed lands, per Backpacker. Between 2007 and 2023, 40 people died in Shenandoah National Park. NPS notes that "many people have died entering the Potomac River Gorge" around Great Falls. That includes a swimmer who drowned last year attempting to cross the river. State of play: The National Park Service told Axios this week that it's hiring seasonal workers "to continue enhancing the visitor experience as we embrace new opportunities for optimization and innovation in workforce management." Yes, but: Will the work arrive in time? Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, tells Axios it's common for parks to staff up for high season, but "normally at this time of the year, those hirings would be well along the way." Spring, especially with cherry blossoms, is a busy time. "What with the number of people [onboarding] — paperwork, background checks, training, finding places to live — there's going to be delays getting those people on board." Meanwhile, Wade, a former superintendent of Shenandoah National Park, says summer "seasonals" — teachers, students, etc. — can typically double the staff in a park for a given time. But now, "What happens after they all leave? You're back to being even further reduced." He says many of the firings he's tracking are in education — people managing visitor centers and school groups — which is a key part of national parks, especially in the Washington region. As for those who've kept jobs: "Morale is way down," Wade tells Axios. "There's a lot of uncertainty." How it works: The local tallies come from a spreadsheet shared with Axios by a U.S. park ranger who requested anonymity to protect their job and employment prospects. The spreadsheet, which shows 755 total firings as of March 6, is based on reports from hundreds of rangers and other park workers in multiple online groups. Because it's a crowdsourced effort, the document is likely incomplete and undercounts the full breadth of the firings. The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), an independent parks advocacy group, says more than 1,000 park staffers were fired on Feb. 14. NPS didn't provide an official count of firings and didn't respond to requests for comment. Axios' Karri Peifer contributed to this story.
Axios
05-03-2025
- Axios
Great Smoky Mountains, Natchez Trace lose staff amid mass firings
Trail workers and other employees at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been fired amid the Trump administration's purge of federal employees, per an unofficial tally shared with Axios by a park ranger. Why it matters: Firings have hit national parks across the country, leaving fewer workers to do critical jobs ahead of the busy summer travel season, including lifesaving search-and-rescue missions. By the numbers: At least 12 workers got fired at the Great Smoky Mountains park, which stretches across Tennessee and North Carolina. The trails crew was the "hardest hit division" in the park, according to a document shared with Axios by a U.S. park ranger who requested anonymity to protect their job and employment prospects. About 200 permanent staffers worked at the Great Smoky Mountains last August, according to a park statistics page. The park also reports about 140 seasonal employees. Eight employees got the boot at the Natchez Trace Parkway, which winds through Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. Natchez Trace Parkway had 99 full-time employees as of 2023. Zoom out: The spreadsheet shared with Axios showed 756 total firings nationwide as of March 4. The information is based on reports from hundreds of rangers and other park workers in multiple online groups. Caveat: Because it's a crowdsourced effort, the document is likely incomplete and undercounts the full breadth of the firings. The big picture: 325.5 million people visited U.S. national parks in 2023, up nearly 20% from a decade earlier. Many national parks have struggled to deal with the crowds, as well as the traffic and trash they bring. What they're saying: After the firings, " I don't think the parks are equipped to be able to handle the visitation that they get," says the ranger who shared the document with Axios. The stakes go far beyond long lines, crowded campsites and dirty bathrooms. "The odds of search-and-rescue missions turning into recoveries [of dead bodies] will be a lot higher this year than most," the ranger says. About 250 people die annually on NPS-managed lands, per Backpacker. The other side: NPS "is hiring seasonal workers to continue enhancing the visitor experience as we embrace new opportunities for optimization and innovation in workforce management," a spokesperson said in a statement. The ranger countered that new seasonal workers can't replace the institutional knowledge lost by firing park veterans. What's next: At least a few fired park workers have since gotten their jobs back, per the document. Read the national story
Axios
05-03-2025
- Axios
These national parks have been hit hardest by firings
More than 750 U.S. national park workers have been fired amid the Trump administration's purge of federal employees, per an unofficial tally shared with Axios by a park ranger. Why it matters: The firings have left fewer workers to do critical jobs ahead of the busy summer travel season, including lifesaving search-and-rescue missions. By the numbers: Florida's Everglades National Park (15 workers fired), Virginia's Shenandoah National Park (15) and New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns National Park (14) are among the hardest hit locations across the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), per the tally. North Carolina and Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park (12), Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park (12) and Utah's Zion National Park (11) also saw significant losses. (Axios Salt Lake City previously reported that at least 13 employees at Zion were fired.) How it works: That's according to a spreadsheet shared with Axios by a U.S. park ranger who requested anonymity to protect their job and employment prospects. The spreadsheet, which shows 756 total firings as of March 4, is based on reports from hundreds of rangers and other park workers in multiple online groups. Because it's a crowdsourced effort, the document is likely incomplete and undercounts the full breadth of the firings. The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), an independent parks advocacy group, says more than 1,000 park staffers were fired on Feb. 14. Threat level: 325.5 million people visited U.S. national parks in 2023, up nearly 20% from a decade earlier. Many national parks have been struggling to deal with the glut of visitors, as well as the traffic and trash they bring. What they're saying: After the firings, " I don't think the parks are equipped to be able to handle the visitation that they get," says the ranger who shared the document with Axios, adding that the stakes go far beyond long lines, crowded campsites and dirty bathrooms. "The odds of search-and-rescue missions turning into recoveries [of dead bodies] will be a lot higher this year than most," the ranger says. "There will be more people dying this year than probably any other year, and that's entirely due to the lack of staffing." About 250 people die annually on NPS-managed lands, per Backpacker. The firings could also leave fewer staffers to quickly snuff out small fires that might otherwise grow into massive blazes, the ranger adds. The other side: NPS "is hiring seasonal workers to continue enhancing the visitor experience as we embrace new opportunities for optimization and innovation in workforce management," a spokesperson said in a statement. "We are focused on ensuring that every visitor has the chance to explore and connect with the incredible, iconic spaces of our national parks." NPS did not provide an official count of firings by park and did not comment on the tally in the spreadsheet. The ranger countered that new seasonal workers can't replace the institutional knowledge lost by firing park veterans. "With peak season just weeks away, the decision to slash 1,000 permanent, full-time jobs from national parks is reckless and could have serious public safety and health consequences," NPCA president and CEO Theresa Pierno said in a separate statement, adding that national parks are major economic drivers for nearby communities. Zoom in: The spreadsheet includes details about specific workers or teams affected at some parks. Smoky Mountain's trails crew was its "hardest hit division," according to the document. The "only aquatic ecologist who tests water safety" at Lake Mead, an arborist at Glen Canyon, and potentially several fee collectors at Yellowstone National Park were also fired, per the spreadsheet. "You might see one ranger is missing at a park, but some of those parks have less than 10 staff," the ranger says. "So you might have a park that ... lost 10% of their workforce overnight. That makes a big difference." Yosemite National Park lost its only locksmith, per the document. That appears to be a worker named Nate Vince, who shared their story separately on Instagram. "48 weeks ago I started my permanent NPS position as Yosemite's new locksmith," Vince wrote. "Well now 3 weeks short of my probationary period I've been fired. I've had exemplary performance and am essential for park operations. The people that fired me don't know who I am, or what I do. They simply don't understand this park and how big and complex it is." The response: Protestors demonstrated at parks nationwide this past weekend, while upside-down American flags — a traditional symbol of distress — have been hung at Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Rocky Mountain National Park in recent days. An Instagram profile called "ResistanceRangers" has sprung up to advocate for fired park workers and advertise protest activity. What's next: At least a few fired park workers have since gotten their jobs back, per the document, suggesting there's at least a glimmer of hope for people who have found themselves out of their dream job at what's so often called "America's best idea."
