Two tiny foxes find love in Longleat as keepers hope for perfect match
The pair are part of their international breeding programme
Keepers at Longleat are hoping two Fennec Foxes are the perfect match this Valentine's Day.
The tiny creatures were introduced to each other at the Wiltshire park at the end of last year and staff there are "cautiously optimistic" they have found love.
Anthony and Zuri are part of the breeding programme which hopes to create more of the world's tiniest canine species.
Reaching a maximum length of under 40 cms, the fennec fox is by far the smallest member of the fox family, with their ears up to 25% of their body length.
These crafty canines use their giant ears to hear prey and dissipate excess body heat when they're in their usual habitat of the deserts of Northern Africa.
Keeper Chloe Finch said:
"Anthony originally arrived from a collection in Poland as a youngster and we have been trying to source a suitable partner for him for some time.
That’s why we were so excited when we heard about Zuri, a two-year-old female who was born at Artis Zoo in Amsterdam.
She arrived before Christmas and has spent the past few months settling in, now we’re hoping their relationship will move on to the next level."
Fennec Foxes are believed to mate for life and couples tend to produce a single litter of up to five pups each year.