National Fox Day

Today, 17 September, marks National Fox Day and Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire has seen great success with the birth and hand rearing of our Fennec Fox kit siblings.

Dot and Other, the kits, were born in April and are just turning five months old. The pair were hand reared by keepers after mum, Zuri, struggled to take care of them after the birth.

Animal Adventure Team Manager, Catriona Moy, one of the keepers who cared for the kits round the clock, says “We’re now reintroducing the kits to their parents through mesh, so each group can get used to the others’ scents. They get the opportunity to touch noses and get familiar with each other, whilst we look to plan what is best for their long term future. They have already had nose-to-nose contact with dad Enzi through the mesh and that has gone well.”

The sisters can often be seen in the outdoor Fennec Fox area in Animal Adventure.

Fennec Foxes are the smallest of all fox species, while their ears are the largest in relation to their body size. They dwell in the sandy Sahara and elsewhere across North Africa. Their ears help radiate body heat to keep them cool and their thick fur helps protect them from the cold at night, as well as from the sun during the day.