Exmoor Zoo welcomes pair of world's smallest foxes

Keepers at the zoo in Devon are asking the public to help name the pair of furry new arrivals.

Saturday 4 May 2024 16:59, UK

A pair of the world's smallest foxes have recently arrived at a zoo in Devon.

The fennec foxes have their own purpose-built enclosure at Exmoor Zoo - a new arrival two years in the planning.

The breed is native to areas of North Africa, including Morocco, the Sahara Desert and Mauritania.

As nocturnal animals, fennec foxes live in underground burrows in the desert, which allows them to keep cool.

Their characteristic large ears also help to dispel heat.

Otherwise known as the desert fox, their prey includes small rodents, snakes, lizards and insects such as grasshoppers and locusts.

But they also eat eggs, roots, leaves and fruit.

Danny Reynolds, co-partner of Exmoor Zoo, said: "We're all pretty excited about the fennec foxes' arrival and are falling madly in love."

The keepers have started calling the furry new arrivals Lieutenant Wolfe and Pretty Lady.

But people are asked to get in touch with the zoo to share their own ideas for names.