Baby Fennec Foxes Born At Palm Beach Zoo (PHOTOS)

PHOTOS: Cutie 4-Week-Old Foxes At Palm Beach Zoo

Easter bunnies weren't the only big-eared creatures being adored this weekend.

Palm Beach Zoo just released five newborn fennec foxes from the underground burrow where they spend their first four weeks of life.

Fennec foxes are known by their large floppy ears, which can be as long as 6 inches while the fox only grows to about 16 inches. "It will be interesting to see which grow first -- the ears or the body," Keith Lovett, Palm Beach Zoo's assistant director told HuffPost Miami.

The foxes, which are native to the desserts of North Africa and the Sinai and Arabian Peninsula, mate for life. So parents Heidi and Swiper are never far behind the zoo's new five baby foxes also known as "kits."

Watch the parents and their kits in the above video.

"To improve the genetics of fennec foxes in captivity," Lovett said, "we introduced Heidi from a zoo in Germany and Swiper from Honolulu. This is their first offspring."

Lovett also said the kits have not been named yet. "As the mother gave birth under a rock section in a burrow, it's been difficult to get all the kits at one time to determine gender."

To anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of the newborns, Lovett says they'll need some patience. Fennec foxes are nocturnal but will creep out and make debuts in the morning and late afternoon. Swiper can be seen guarding the den and his kits.

Palm Beach Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for fennec foxes and has exhibited the species since 1995.

Since then, the zoo has had 9 successful births and now has 13 fennec foxes on zoo grounds, including three breeding pairs.

Click below for images of the 4-week-old fennec fox kits at Palm Beach Zoo:

Before You Go

Baby Fennec Foxs

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot