Fennec Foxes successfully bred at Longleat Safari Park for first time
It's the breeding pair's second litter
For the first time ever, Fennec Foxes have been successfully bred at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.
The two kits, which are not yet named, are being hand-reared by keepers after close monitoring of mum Zuri.
At birth, they weighed just 46 grams.
Keepers Samantha Peeke, Gemma Short and Catriona Moy are sharing the sleepless nights as the kits initially need feeding every two hours, day and night.
“We are now feeding them every three hours with a longer break overnight,” said Samantha.
“We are sharing the care so they don’t get attached to one of us as the aim is to reintroduce them to their mum and dad; eventually we hope they will also become part of the international breeding programme."
Hope for the second litter
For mum and dad Zuri and Enzi, it's their second litter. But sadly the first kits died within 24 hours. Although Zuri produced the colostrum needed, there appeared not to be enough milk for the babies.
Catriona, Team Manager of Animal Adventure and Lakes at Longleat, said: “After she lost the first three, we spent time preparing for the possibility of a further litter.
“We wanted to ensure that knowing she may not produce enough milk that we had everything in place in case it was required to help Zuri care for the young. Hand rearing is always a last resort.
“When cameras in the den showed Zuri had given birth to three kits, we watched closely so not to disturb her. Zuri showed good mothering behaviours; however, it then became clear she was struggling with all three.
“This combined with previous history led us to make the difficult decision to remove two to give mum the best chance to successfully raise a kit. Unfortunately, despite Zuri’s best effort, sadly the kit that remained with her passed away,” she added.
There are plans to reintroduce the kits to their parents in the summer.
This is due to their importance to the wider European breeding programme, because the new pairing of Zuri and Enzi, the bloodline isn't found anywhere else in the UK.
What are Fennec Foxes?
Fennec Foxes reach a maximum length of less than 40cms and weigh less than two kilogrammes, making it much the smallest member of the fox family and even smaller than a family cat.
Despite being the smallest canine species, what they lack in body size they more than make up for with their huge ears, which are up to a quarter of their entire body length.
Native to Northern Africa, throughout the Sahara Desert, east to the Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia, Fennec Foxes live in semi-arid desert environments with sparse vegetation, using 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.