The little Swift Fox (Vulpes velox) that you see is not native to Nova Scotia. Some have been clocked at more than 60 km/h, and because of their small size they appear to be moving even faster. This species was last seen in Saskatchewan in 1928. They were designated extirpated from Canada in April 1978.
The swift fox's decline has been due to coyote predation and habitat loss. Since being re-introduced, an estimated population of 145 mature animals are now successfully breeding in the wild in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Their status was downlisted to endangered in May 1998 and confirmed in May 2000.
