Wesley and Sahara, Fennec foxes that live at the North Georgia Zoo in Cleveland, Georgia, are happy to announce the birth of triplets! The new babies – one male and two females (called “kits” in the fox world) – are looking for names right now. North Georgia Zoo is asking the public for suggestions.
Sahara, their mother, is absolutely delighted with her new offspring. If she could talk, she would probably say something like this: “They are just beautiful – they have their father’s ears!”
Fennec foxes typically give birth to 1-4 kits in a litter. They are the smallest of the fox breeds, typically weighing only 4-2 lbs. as adults. At birth, they weigh approximately 50 grams each. However, they have the largest ear to body ratio of any animal. They use their ears for hearing and body cooling.
North Georgia zookeepers say Fennec foxes have extraordinary hearing, which aids in their search for food. Also, their ears have a great many blood vessels that are close to the surface of their skin. As blood circulates through these vessels, it is cooled by the wind that blows on the surface of their ears. This cooled blood is then recirculated back into their bodies, which brings down their temperature. That’s important since they’re native to the Sahara Desert.
Offer your baby fox naming suggestions on North Georgia Zoo’s Facebook page (scroll down for the story posted on April 28).
North Georgia Wildlife Park & Zoo will hold a “Social Distancing” Drive-Thru Zoo Saturday & Sunday, May 2nd, 3rd, 9th & 10th from 4-6 p.m. View over 80 animals including camels, ostrich, zebras and more from the comfort of your car.
The zoo is located at 2912 Paradise Valley Road, Cleveland, GA, 30528. Visit www.northgeorgiazoo.com for more information.
