We love some animal news, and Chester Zoo is here to deliver. The zoo has released its first images of Maasai and Malindi, two bat-eared fox sisters which have just arrived in their new Heart of Africa Habitat.
The zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat is the largest development in the UK, spreading over more than 22.5 acres of land. Maasai and Malindi arrived from Paris, travelling over 500 miles to their new home.
The bat-eared foxes are, unsurprisingly, named after their ears, and are native to open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa. As a species, they are under threat of extinction, with the zoo having plans to aid the conservation of the species in a breeding project.
David White, Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus and they’re a wonderful addition to our new Heart of Africa habitat. They’re a truly unique and fascinating species with some amazing adaptations. Their enormous ears aren’t just for show – they can detect prey with pinpoint accuracy. They’re so sensitive that they can even hear termites chewing underground!”
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme – helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.”