Question

for a wildlife study, 25 foxes were tagged and released. later, researchers counted 465 foxes, 15 of which had tags. to the nearest whole number, what is the best estimate for the fox population?

Explanation:

Step1: Set up proportion

Let \( x \) be the fox population. The proportion of tagged foxes in the population should equal the proportion of tagged foxes in the sample. So, \(\frac{25}{x}=\frac{15}{465}\).

Step2: Cross - multiply

Cross - multiplying gives \( 15x = 25\times465 \).

Step3: Solve for \( x \)

First, calculate \( 25\times465 = 11625 \). Then, \( x=\frac{11625}{15} \).

Step4: Calculate the value

\(\frac{11625}{15}=775\).

Answer:

775