The Chattanooga Zoo announced the birth of two fennec fox kits at the Zoo’s Wild at Heart event on Friday, Feb, 13. Event guests were the first to hear the great news and catch a glimpse of the newest additions to the Zoo.
Zoo residents, Barkley and Sophie, are proud new parents to two adorable fennec fox kits; one male and one female. The kits were born at the Zoo on Jan. 23, and appear to be in perfect health and are continuously growing. First time mother, Sophie, is doing great and has shown to be a very caring mother.
Father of the kits, Barkley, was paired with Sophie through the SSP program as a recommended breeding pair. Barkley came to Chattanooga from the St. Louis Zoo in October 2014. The genetics that Sophie and Barkley hold are rare and highly valuable in the Zoo breeding pool. The breeding pair quickly became fond of each other and they are now considered an SSP success story.
The new fennec fox kits are not the only new residents at the Chattanooga Zoo. They are also announced the arrival of Zoisite, the female rock hyrax. Since her arrival she has been held in quarantine for a full 30 days, and after passing a routine physical perfectly, she will now be placed in her new home on exhibit in the Deserts of the World exhibit. Zoi will be housed with their male rock hyrax, Gus, along with the roadrunners and desert tortoises.
Zoi and Gus are also recommended for breeding through the SSP program. Zoey came to the Zoo last month from the Jacksonville Zoo in Jacksonville, Fl. She is six months old and will not be sexually mature until 16 months of age. Breeding season for rock hyraxes is typically February to April, and they are hoping for rock hyrax pups next spring.
Saturday, Zoi and the fennec fox kits will make their debut on exhibit in the Deserts of the World exhibit at the Zoo. Both species will stay on exhibit full time and will be open to public viewing. With a highly pursued genetic line, the fennec fox kits will make their home at the Chattanooga Zoo until they are mature enough to be recommended to breed through the SSP and have kits of their own.
“Bringing an SSP recommended companion animal to the Zoo from another is quite the process,” explains Darde Long, Chattanooga Zoo CEO and president. “There are a lot of variables that go into it like logistics, genetic compatibility, housing situations, and the unknowns of courtship or breeding. When we are able to witness a true SSP success story like our fennec foxes, it speaks loud volumes to the special care of our Zoo staff, the SSP coordination, and proves that we are making a difference. These newborn kits are so special to us and we have our fingers crossed for rock hyrax pups next year.”
The Chattanooga Zoo will soon begin a naming contest for the fennec fox kits. The naming contest will allow Zoo supporters to participate in an auction to have the chance of a lifetime in naming some of the most genetically important animals at the Chattanooga Zoo. Participants will offer an amount of money to be the one to name a kit. The participant with the highest bid at the end of the auction period will have the naming rights and the opportunity to meet the newly named foxes. An announcement by the Chattanooga Zoo will be made when this auction becomes available.