Amazing facts about the bat-eared fox
Two rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years.They get their name from their enormous bat-like ears - that are more than 13 centimetres long! - which help to keep them cool, and track down any tasty insects for a snack.The two foxes are sisters and have been named Maasai and Malindi and they've travelled more than 500 miles to Chester Zoo in the UK, from a zoo in Paris, in France.They will live alongside 12 porcupines in a new part of the zoo called Heart of Africa.
Bat-eared Fox Factfile
In the wild, bat-eared foxes can be found in in the grasslands and savannah of southern and eastern Africa.They face threats from habitat loss due to human activity like farming, building homes and hunting.Their enormous ears can be over 5 inches (13 centimeters) long. They act like satellite dishes and help the foxes detect the tiniest of movements allowing them to detect prey with pinpoint accuracy - even hearing termites chewing underground.The ears are full of blood vessels that shed heat so they also help keep the foxes coolFacts from Chester Zoo/San Diego Zoo
'Incredibly Exciting'
Keepers at the zoo hope that one day they can introduce a male bat-eared fox to the group, as part of a conservation breeding programme to help increase numbers of the species.Team Manager David White, said their arrival was "incredibly exciting"He added they've been "settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of 12 Cape porcupines."
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