Newborn bat-eared foxes herald adorable start to Cincinnati Zoo Babies season

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden welcome two new bat-eared foxes on April 6, 2023. Photo courtesy Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden welcome two new bat-eared foxes on April 6, 2023. Photo courtesy Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

It’s springtime in Cincinnati and all the best local staples are accounted for and present: Reds opening day, blooming yet pollen-filled trees and adorable newcomers born at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Two baby bat-eared foxes revealed Monday by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden were born April 6.

And yes, they’re as adorable as the name “bat-eared fox” implies.

Parents Frankie and Otis have had several breeding attempts in the past, but the April babies are the pair’s first success, the zoo said.

Frankie’s pregnancy was confirmed in early March by scientists at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife. The zoo knew she was carrying two babies from early on as they monitored the first-time mom’s pregnancy.

New parents Frankie and Otis co-rear their newborn young, with both mother and father taking on the tasks of babysitting their new young. Photo courtesy Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

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Now, both kits have opened their eyes and are able to wander out to the entrance of their den, the zoo said. In less than one week, they’ll get their first chance at solid food — less than one month after their birthday.

The bat-eared fox is from eastern and southern areas of Africa. They aren’t considered endangered or an at-risk population, but their habitat is shrinking, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. They predominantly feast on termites, beetles and other insects, climbing from their underground dens at dusk to search for their favorites, especially around other African animals that attract bugs, like zebra and buffalo.

It’s most distinctive feature — its “bat ears” — are often five inches long, although the entire fox’s body is only one to two feet tall. Thanks to these big ears, a bat-eared fox can hear a termite chewing grass, or a beetle as it burrows underground, according to the Cincinnati Zoo.

So far, Frankie and Otis’ baby boys have much smaller ears, but they’ll grow up quickly.

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