Big-Eared Fennec Foxes Born at Living Desert

Voted most likely to win your heart , the fennec fox family at The Living Desert just got larger. 

A litter of adorable pup fennec foxes were born at the park on Saturday, May 25th. With their distinctively large, bat-like ears, skinny legs, and newborn joie de vivre, they’re sure to melt hearts and inspire smiles from visitors to The Living Desert.  

“It’s such a joyful time at the park when animals give birth, and fennec foxes are so cute, you can hardly take your eyes off of them with their diminutive size yet incredibly large ears,” says Stacey Johnson, President/CEO of The Living Desert. “And as they get older, they’re especially interesting to observe because of their highly social behavior.”

Three pups were born to their parents, Draco and Adeen. The male and 2 females were born on Saturday, May 25th . The pups are being socialized by animal keepers and are on exhibit in the Veterinary Hospital Special Care Units and will be valuable to the captive breeding population.

Native to the Sahara and North Africa, fennec foxes are right at home in the desert. Their large, distinct ears not only give them acute hearing, but also radiate body heat and help keep them cool. Their thick fur insulates them from cold at night and heat during the day. They even have furry feet that protects them from extreme hot sand. 

The species can also live for long periods of time without water as its kidneys are adapted to restrict water loss. They are the smallest of all the world’s foxes, generally weighing from 2.5 to 4 pounds when full grown.  They’re carnivores, favoring food sources such as rodents, insects, birds, eggs, and rabbits.

The pups are on exhibit now at the Tennity Wildlife Hospital within The Living Desert. Summer park hours are 8:00am to 1:30pm (last admission at 1:00pm).

About The Living Desert:

The Living Desert is an AZA-accredited zoo and gardens that is dedicated to conservation and education. It is a family-friendly place to explore nature and create meaningful experiences for guests that are remembered for a lifetime. For more information: (760) 346-5694 or visit www.LivingDesert.org. The Living Desert is located at: 47900 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260.