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Zoo welcomes three 'fluffy' bat-eared fox kits

Alice CunninghamSuffolk
News imageAlex Layzell/Africa Alive Three small grey coloured foxes huddled together under a warming lamp. They each have large ears, similar to bats, that are lined with black fur. They have their heads up and are looking in front of them. The picture has a red glow.Alex Layzell/Africa Alive
The three bat-eared fox kits were born at Africa Alive last month

Three fox kits are the first to be born at a Suffolk zoo in almost 20 years, and are thought to be the first new arrivals of their kind at any European zoo this year.

Africa Alive, near Kessingland, welcomed three bat-eared fox kits at the end of April to the UK's only breeding pair, Vuko and Vysoke.

Frankie Bleasdale-Partridge, deputy animal manager at the zoo, said the kits were "very fluffy" and had been snoozing in the shade during the recent heatwave.

"So far they're doing really well, really strong, bouncing around, playing with each other, which is lovely to see," she told BBC Radio Suffolk.

News imageAlex Layzell/Africa Alive Three small grey-coloured foxes huddled together under a warming lamp. They each have large ears, similar to bats, that are lined with black fur. Their heads are huddled within each other's bodies to keep warm. The picture has a red glow.Alex Layzell/Africa Alive
The kits are the first to be born at the zoo since 2007

"The parents are doing really well.

"Vuko, the dad, has actually had babies before, so he knows what it's all about, and Vysoke, we believe this is her first litter, so we're extra proud of her.

"I think Dad is feeling a bit tired... he's potentially been doing the night shifts, so he's sleeping a lot more during the day."

News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC Frankie Bleasdale-Partridge is standing outside in front of a lion poster and smiling. She is wearing green zookeeper clothing and has tied-back dark hair.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Frankie Bleasdale-Partridge, deputy animal manager, said the kits were incredibly special

The foxes get their name from their large bat-like ears that can be more than 13cm (5.1in) long.

Their ears work to keep them cool, while also enabling them to hear insects in the ground.

In the wild, the foxes are found in the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.

News imageGetty Images A grey coloured fox that stands directly in front of the camera within a grassy area. It has large ears that look similar to bat ears. Getty Images
Bat-eared foxes are listed as 'least concern' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources red list

Vuko arrived at Africa Alive from Exmoor Zoo in 2024, while Vysoke arrived from Bratislava Zoo in Slovakia last year.

The kits were born on 29 April, with the last bat-eared foxes born in Suffolk in 2007.

According to Africa Alive, bat-eared foxes are a relatively uncommon species within European zoological collections, making these recent births particularly important for the future of the species.

"It's extra special considering there's not many bat-eared foxes breeding at the moment," Bleasdale-Partridge added.

"We're extra excited about this, and for us we haven't had bat-eared foxes for nearly 20 years so we're super excited and happy about it."

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