NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Barbara Russo: 718-265-3428; 917-494-5493; brusso@wcs.org

Max Pulsinelli: 718-220-5182; 571-218-7601; mpulsinelli@wcs.org

Steve Fairchild: 718-220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.org

Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo Debuts Smallest Species of Fox

Brooklyn, N.Y. – April 18, 2016 – Two fennec foxes (Vulpes zerda) are making their public debut at WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation Society) Prospect Park Zoo.

The two young male foxes came to Prospect Park from WCS’s Bronx Zoo. They are the first fennecs to be exhibited at the Prospect Park Zoo.

Like many other fox species, fennec foxes are nocturnal. They are the world’s smallest species of fox, with adults typically weighing less than four pounds and having a body length that ranges from 9 to 16 inches. 

Their characteristically large ears can be up to six inches long. In addition to aiding in their ability to hear prey even when it is underground, they use their ears to help regulate body temperature by dispersing heat.

Fennec foxes are native to the deserts of northern Africa, where they range widely across their sandy environments. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the wild population is stable.

The new fennec fox exhibit is located in the Prospect Park Zoo’s Hall of Animals building that also houses saki and titi monkeys, dwarf mongooses, and a variety of frogs and reptiles.

For more information or to speak with a WCS expert, contact Barbara Russo at 917-494-5493, 718-265-3428, or brusso@wcs.org.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo – $8.00 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. weekdays, and to 5:30 P.M. on weekends and holidays, April through October. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. November through March. The Prospect Park Zoo is located at 450 Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. For further information, call 718-399-7339 or visit www.prospectparkzoo.com.

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.

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