Longleat Safari Park Confirms Death of Hand-Reared Fennec Fox Kit

The passing of a young fennec fox, which had been hand-reared for a period of seven months, has been confirmed. Named Dot, the fox was one of two kits delivered at Longleat Safari Park during the spring season. Keepers undertook the task of hand-raising Dot and her sibling after observing difficulties with their mother’s ability to care for them. Dot and her brother, Other, had previously appeared on the BBC program “Animal Park.” A dedicated tribute is scheduled to be included in the upcoming Wednesday episode. Catriona Moy, Team Manager of Animal Adventure and Lakes, stated, “The episode shows the love and care given to both Dot and Other by their keepers and ends with a montage of images announcing her death which we felt was the most fitting way to share the news with people.” Moy further commented, “Sadly, 60% of young fennec foxes don’t survive to adulthood so we always knew raising baby kits would be a challenge.” She also expressed, “We hope people will respect the keepers who are naturally grieving the loss of this animal.” Dot was discovered unresponsive within her enclosure at seven months of age, nearing maturity. At the time, keepers were engaged in the process of reintroducing the young foxes to their parents. Fennec foxes, recognized as the smallest canids globally, inhabit the desert regions of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. While not classified as endangered, their population faces threats from hunting and the exotic pet trade. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.