The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by the zoo’s conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, France.
First images show the pair exploring their home at Chester, located in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size. The species is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is endemic to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
In the wild, bat-eared foxes face increasing threats, largely due to habitat loss caused by agriculture, human encroachment and hunting.
Zoo experts say that, in future, they plan to introduce one of sisters to a male fox and go on to play a vital role in the conservation breeding programme that is working to safeguard the species.
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!
David White, Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo
He went on to say:
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.
David White, Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo
The zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife, from supporting the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking.
It’s teams’ pioneering endocrinology science is helping to increase eastern black rhino populations in Kenya and it supports initiatives like the Maasai Olympics, a sporting event where the culture of hunting lions has been replaced with sport, seeing lion numbers grow tenfold since 2012.
Bat-eared fox fact file
· Scientific name: Otocyon megalotis
· Habitat: Grasslands, savannahs, and arid regions of eastern and southern Africa
· Diet: Primarily insectivorous – they feed mainly on termites, beetles and other small invertebrates
· Lifespan: Up to 13 years
· Fun fact: Their large ears help regulate body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to detect insects moving underground!
· Threats: Habitat loss due to agriculture, human conflict, and hunting
