Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda) Fact Sheet: Managed Care

Zoos, general

• Early zoo populations founded by private collectors who kept fennec foxes as pets (Mękarska 2001, as cited by Mękarska 2006; Wallen 2006)
• Common in managed care (Sowards 1981)
• Present in many zoos, worldwide (Mękarska 2006; Wacher et al. 2015; ZIMS 2019)
• Used for zoo education, research, and managed care breeding programs
• History
• 1851: Thought to be the first time a fennec fox was housed in Europe (Mękarska 2006)
• Menagerie de Jardin de Plantes (Paris, France)
• 1900: Zoological Society of London adds first fennec fox to its collection (Bauman 2002)
• 1929: First complete record of a fennec fox being kept in Europe (Mękarska 2006)
• London Zoo
• 1950s to 1960s: Early behavioral studies of fennec foxes in managed care (Vogel 1962; Rosevear 1974)
• 2001: European Association of Zoos and Aquariums established a European Studbook (Mękarska 2006)

San Diego Zoo and Safari Park

• 1936: San Diego Zoo began keeping its first fennec foxes (Dolan 1993)
• 1962: Birth of first fennec foxes at San Diego Zoo (Dolan 1993)

(Kym Janke, personal communication, 2019, except as noted)

General

• Personality traits
  • Vigilant of surroundings
  • Skittish, esp. sudden or unusual noises
• Enjoy digging
• Able to recognize individual keepers
• Assist with outreach as San Diego Zoo ambassador animals (Gossler 2002; Scott 2014; San Diego Zoo Global Public Relations 2017)

Shelters and enclosures

• Use small enclosed spaces and crevices
  • May dig own den, even if provided with den box or den chamber
• At San Diego Zoo, housed at warm temperatures
  • Approximately 77-79°F (24-26°C)
• Require high fencing or may jump out of enclosure
• Multiple heights of exhibit space for climbing and jumping
• Rocks for sunbathing

Social interactions

• Typically housed as a male-female pair (as in the wild)
• Male and female groom each other and den together
• Vocal
  • Calls sound similar (to human ear)
• Will call and solicit attention (petting, grooming) from keeper
  • Run in circles and lay down in front of keeper

Diet in managed care

• Mainly raw meat and dog kibble
• Small amounts of fruits and vegetables

Breeding

• Can be fairly easy to breed but sensitive to disturbances (e.g., Petter 1957; Volf 1957)
• At San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, bred as a pair (as in the wild)
• Den box for shelter
  • May also burrow in ground
• Able to breed year-round (Saint Girons 1962, as cited by Asa and Cuzin 2013; Bauman 2002; Asa et al. 2004)
  • Most young born March to July

Enrichment and training

• Food enrichment
  • Insects
  • “Dig boxes” filled with worms
    • Buried layers of cardboard, with worms in between
• Training takes time
  • Ease of training similar to domestic cat
  • Keeper must spend time with individuals to develop a strong relationship
    • Time/attention more effective than food
• Certain behaviors part of health checks (e.g., open mouth, lift feet, stand on weigh scale)

A 3-month-old fennec fox digs and pounces at the Children's Zoo Nursery at the San Diego Zoo.

This play behavior helps young foxes develop skills to find food.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.