CZS are delighted to announce that on 22nd June 2026, Fennec fox, Pinky, gave birth.
With the arrival of the little ones being over just a month ago, the Animal Care Team are pleased that the kits are doing well along with mum, Pinky, and dad, Otis. At this stage, the family group are likely to be in the safety of their den as they are gaining more confidence by the day and can occasionally be seen out exploring their habitat.
Parenthood is all new to both mum Pinky, who arrived in January 2026 from Longleat at 9 months old and dad, Otis, who has been with us a lot longer, arriving at CZS back in March 2020 from Riga Zoo in Latvia.
With this being their first litter as first-time parents, and the Zoo’s second successful rearing since the Zoo’s single offspring female, Sadia, who was born back in 2008 to parents Sabah and Sudan, the Animal Care Team are delighted that both parents have been very tentative towards the kits and are doing great at their new role within the family.
Fennec foxes are monogamous and typically they live in pairs with their offspring in a family unit. After a gestation period of 50 to 53 days, the mother will naturally stay close to the kits in an underground burrow or den with the dad bringing food to the mum both during pregnancy as well as for the first month or so after birth. The parents will naturally become defensive over their young and will actively guard the family den.
This species, native to the deserts of Northern Africa, is known as the smallest fox in the world and are easily recognisable due to their large ears which allow them to hear prey walking across the sand or even underground!
While listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this species unfortunately faces threats from the illegal pet trade and are often captured for exhibition purposes.
While their habitat within Lion Rock is now open to the public, the Animal Care Team are monitoring the area and will open and close the area sporadically based on the behaviour of the kits. There are many ways you can help support Fennec foxes both at CZS and out in the wild, from adopting the Fennec foxes to making a donation. Be sure to keep an eye on their social media and website for more updates.
