April 2, 2032
Four-year-old Nuna sleepily waddled to her grandma Malina after dinner. “Qajaasaaq*, sing to me,” she said, as she settled between her grandmother’s legs, covered in the fur of her parka, ready to nod off. “As you wish, my pipaluk*,” crooned Malina, “Today, I will sing you your favourite lullaby.” And she began:
“Wherever else the arctic fox may roam,
It no longer calls Greenland its home,
For driven by hunger, lust, and greed,
The outsiders killed this noble breed,
The pride of the tundra,
The symbol of hope,
Has lost its life,
Has lost its home.”
By the time Malina finished her song, Nuna was fast asleep, dreaming of a time when Arctic foxes roamed free.
Six years later
It was amazing how swathes of white could be so entrancing. Ten-year-old Nuna pondered on this as she walked out of her cosy house after a hearty dinner of bannock—a traditional bread—and caribou stew. Outside in the snowy expanse of her beloved Greenland, she sat down, took out her sketchbook from her parka pocket, and proceeded to sketch a nearby tree.
Nuna had been immersed in art since the day she saw her grandma’s work. After her death, Nuna had opened up her drawings and looked at the last one her grandma had made: a sketch of the Arctic fox. Malina had been the only living Greenlander who still remembered the fox. And remembering her beloved grandmother, Nuna sniffled as she sketched.
All of a sudden, a pair of black eyes and a nose appeared right in front of her. Even as Nuna sat up in shock, her hands had started sketching the animal. Stroke by stroke, Nuna drew each strand of fur, each feature, until she had the likeness of an Arctic fox cub, just a few months old and white as snow. “Qanik,” whispered Nuna, “Snowflake.” But he was gone; a snowflake in the white.
Nuna walked back home in a daze. Had she just seen the Arctic fox that was long thought to be extinct? How could she have? A lullaby her Grandma used to sing came back to her.
“The pride of the tundra,
The symbol of hope,
Has lost its life,
Has lost its home.”
She lulled herself to sleep with it, dreaming once more of the Arctic fox, no more a symbol of loss, but now a symbol of hope.
All grown up
A 20-year-old Nuna watched the setting sun paint the sky and snow a warm pink, from the same old porch of her house in Greenland. Ten years ago, she had seen one of the sole remaining Arctic foxes. Now, she could see multiple dens with tiny black noses peeking out.
Since seeing that lone fox, Nuna had founded multiple organisations and raised funds to conserve the previously believed-to-be extinct Arctic fox, poured her blood and sweat into her work, and now here she was. Living in a Greenland filled with the downy white fox; a place her grandmother knew. And all thanks to the one Arctic fox who changed her life.
Nuna gasped as an old fox emerged from the woods. She would have recognised him anywhere. “Qanik,” Nuna whispered again after all these years, “Snowflake”. But he disappeared once more; a snowflake in the white.
Are Arctic foxes in danger?
Arctic foxes aren’t currently threatened with extinction. But my vision of a future with no Snowflakes may very well be a possibility, considering the rate at which species are declining globally.
The saiga antelope, which lives in the cold steppes of Central Asia—a habitat similar to the Arctic tundra—is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This is due to several factors, including poaching and climate change. The polar bear—also an inhabitant of the Arctic—is classified as Vulnerable for the same reasons.
While Arctic foxes are classified as Least Concern globally, regional populations are declining due to competition from the red fox, poaching, and fur trapping. With the continued decline in population and lack of conservation action, a Greenland without its Arctic foxes may not be so far off.
* Qajaasaaq and pipaluk are Inuit terms of endearment
Further Reading:
Larm, M., K. Norén and A. Angerbjörn. 2021. Temporal activity shift in arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in response to human disturbance. Global Ecology and Conservation 27: e01602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01602.
National Geographic Kids. Arctic Fox. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/arctic-fox. Accessed on June 20, 2025.
World Wildlife Fund, Critically endangered Arctic foxes successfully breed in Finland. https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/critically-endangered-arctic-foxes-successfully-breed-in-finland. Accessed on June 20, 2025.
