In this month’s Animal Magic column, conservation and education officer Elijah Ford of All Things Wild, introduces one of the newest arrivals and the hope that it heralds the pitter-patter of tiny paws.
By Elijah Ford
We recently welcomed a new, adorable resident at All Things Wild. An 11-month-old female fennec fox that arrived from Longleat Safari Park towards the end of last year.
The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is a small fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula.
Elijah Ford from All Things Wild . Picture by Marcus Mingins 4925007MMR1
Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and listen for underground prey.
Her name is Green Bean, and she was one of three cubs born at Longleat. Her name comes from the different colour dots that were given to each of the litter, helping to identify who was who.
But the arrival of Green Bean is not just exciting for us, but it is also incredibly important.
She has come to the zoo as part of the European breeding programme (EEP) to help safeguard the species against threats like habitat loss and the illegal pet trade.
Managed under European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), who then delegate each programme to an EEP Coordinator, who is usually a professional from within the community.
EEP is one of the ways in which zoos can manage animal populations to ensure that there is a healthy captive population of a species, which can support wild populations if something does go wrong.
Green Bean has been paired with our current male, Pascal who arrived in 2023. She was chosen for a variety of reasons, mainly focusing on genetics and ensuring there was no risk of crossing bloodlines.
Coordinators also try to keep the travel time to a minimum, which is why a move across England was perfect for Green Bean and her welfare.
Green Bean. s
We are hoping to begin the initial introductions process with Green Bean and Pascal over the spring.
It is important that we give both of them plenty of time to adjust to each other, and our keepers will be very closely monitoring them both throughout the entire process.
But once they are both familiar with each other, we are hoping to be welcoming some baby fennec foxes very soon, and we couldn’t be more excited.
You can follow the pair’s journey on our Facebook and Instagram, where we will be posting updates on their journey.
But fennec foxes aren’t the only breeding programme species at the park.
We are also home to creatures on the Kirk’s dik dik, pancake tortoise, red kangaroo and three-banded armadillo breeding programmes. They are all active members of their EEP which means that they are able to be used for breeding when required.
