Giant ears pricked and curiously exploring their surroundings – the latest stars at Longleat Safari Park are a pair of adorable fennec fox kits, and they are capturing hearts with their endearing antics.
Born in April, these tiny newcomers weighed just 46g each at birth and have been hand-reared since they were only 24 hours old. Now, the kits are almost ten times their birth weight, and the team has identified them as both females, though names are still pending.
Keeper Samantha Peeke, who has been sharing the sleepless nights with her colleagues Gemma Short and Catriona Moy, said: “They are using their trademark ears as they grow and begin to explore and listen to their new surroundings. They are needing less frequent care and quickly finding their feet as they are introduced to new sights and sounds.
“As they dig, run, jump, and climb over each other, they are certainly not fazed by the unique sounds that Longleat brings, especially with their parrot neighbours squawking.”
The kits are now eating mostly solid foods like chicken and egg, as well as vegetables, including their favourite green beans, with only two milk feeds a day.
Catriona Moy, Team Leader of Animal Adventure and Lakes, said: “They will receive their inoculations at eight and 12 weeks. We will continue to monitor them and when the time is right, we will begin the long reintroduction process, so the kits can join their mum, Zuri, and dad, Enzi, to live as a family unit.
“The process will take some time, as we will begin to introduce each group to the other’s scents, before letting them meet through a divider. We are really excited that they are doing so well as their birth is so important, not only for Longleat but also to the European breeding programme with two females to help the species in the future.”
Reaching a maximum length of under 40cm and weighing less than two kilogrammes, the fennec fox is the smallest member of the fox family and significantly more petite than a family cat. Although they are the tiniest canine species, what they lack in body size they more than make up for with their huge ears, which are up to 25 per cent of their entire body length.
Found in Northern Africa, throughout the Sahara Desert, and east to the Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia, they live in semi-arid desert environments with sparse vegetation, utilising the sand for burrowing and creating their dens. Their large ears enable them both to hear their prey and to dissipate excess body heat. Other adaptations to their hot and arid environment include furry paws, which act as an insulator against scorching sand, and the fact they do not need to drink water, receiving all their liquid from their mixed diet of plants, fruit, and insects.
