Australasian Fennec Fox Population

akasha

akasha

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Fennec Fox

Five facilities in Australia currently hold Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda). A small remnant population of six individuals was added to in 2011 with an import of 1.2 animals to Adelaide. In 2010/2011 Taronga imported a male (Zinder) from Germany to pair with a female (Sha) who came from Adelaide. Sha was replaced by a female (Kebilli), imported from Poland in 2011. Zinder and Kebilli produced 3 litters; 2012 [Zhara, Mia, Azizi], 2013 [Mali, Kito, Sundai], 2016 [Zalika].

D’Aguilar began gathering foxes from around the country in 2019 for the purposes of breeding. Sundai and Kito came from Mogo. Belle came from Monarto. Dahni who was born at D'Aguilar in 2020 is the most recent birth. He was hand-raised. In 2021 when D’Aguilar’s exotic animal licence was revoked, the foxes were dispersed to other zoos for temporary holding. Belle and Sundai went to Central Coast Zoo, Kito went to Adelaide and Dahni went to Billabong. There are no Fennec Foxes in New Zealand. For more info on Fennec Fox history, see this thread. Thanks to @Jambo, @Abbey and @Zoofan15 for assisting with this list.

Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia

0.1 Zhara (Zinder x Kebilli) 19/12/2012 Transferred from Taronga 2019
1.0 Kito (Zinder x Kebilli) 17/09/2013 Transferred from D’Aguilar 2021, Transferred from Mogo

Billabong Zoo, NSW, Australia

1.0 Akoke (Matthew x Scamp) 17/10/2011 Transferred from Monarto 2017
0.1 Shendi (Matthew x Scamp) 17/10/2011 Transferred from Monarto 2017
1.0 Dahni (Azizi/Sundai x Belle) 23/10/2020 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)

Central Coast Zoo, NSW, Australia

0.1 Belle/Bellata (Tizga x Amber) 09/01/2013 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)
1.0 Sundai (Zinder x Kebilli) 17/09/2013 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)

Halls Gap Zoo, VIC, Australia

1.0 Jeff (Matthew x Scamp) 07/10/2012 Transferred from Adelaide 2014
0.1 Mali (Zinder x Kebilli) 17/09/2013 Transferred from Hunter Valley

Taronga Zoo, NSW, Australia

0.1 Zalika (Zinder x Kebilli) 03/12/2016

Fennec Fox Population Total: 10 (5.5)
 
@Abbey mentioned in the Taronga thread that they have a new male to pair with 0.1 Zalika (2016).

Hopefully it's a male from overseas, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was 1.0 Dahni (2020) from Billabong.
 
Jambo said:
@Abbey mentioned in the Taronga thread that they have a new male to pair with 0.1 Zalika (2016).

Hopefully it's a male from overseas, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was 1.0 Dahni (2020) from Billabong.
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It was confirmed in the news thread that the new male has arrived from Japan.

Wonderful news as this is the first new genetics into the region in more than a decade. :)
 
Astrobird said:
Are they difficult to breed? Why aren't there heaps of babies happening if they all live in pairs?
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Fennec fox aren’t difficult to breed. The dominant line is Zinder and Kebilli. They were founders from Europe, but are now overrepresented - having produced three litters. Four of the five holders have their offspring and the fifth has their grandson. For this reason, I’d assume many of their offspring are in non breeding pairs (albeit some paired with unrelated mates). In addition, Adelaide has a sibling pair.

Only so many placements are available for offspring (regional participation in this breeding programme is low), so priority is given to genetically valuable matches. The male Taronga have imported from Japan is a new founder, so his pairing with Zalika at Taronga is more valuable than any of the pairings her siblings are currently in.

Long term, it’d be nice to see greater participation within the region. North African species are greatly underrepresented.
 
MattyP said:
Most of them are now elderly. I’d imagine we’d need to import more females to keep the population viable.
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In addition, the population all descends from Zinder and Kebilli; with the exception of 2.1 siblings born to Matthew and Scamp; and 0.1 born to Tigza and Amber. The latter two lines and the male imported from Japan have subsequently been paired with the Zinder/Kebili line.

Historically, only the main zoos have imported from overseas and I don’t expect this to change. Adelaide represent our best hope of seeing an import, which would ideally be an unrelated pair once their elderly sibling pair pass on.

Worst case scenario, the breeding pair at Taronga will provide everyone with non breeding sibling pairs; or we’ll even lose one or two of the five holders. There’s presumably some level of regional support given Taronga’s recent investment in them (new exhibit, new import).
 
MattyP said:
Most of them are now elderly. I’d imagine we’d need to import more females to keep the population viable.
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There are plans for future breeding, of course starting with this new pairing at Taronga. It’s hoped other facilities like Adelaide and Halls Gap obtain breeding pairs once their current individuals pass.

With only a few facilities that are interested in holding them though, the region does seem content with maintaining one or two breeding pairs at most.
 
Fennec Fox 2024

The main Fennec Fox news for 2023 was the import of a male, Kareru, from Japan by Taronga. He has been paired with their female, Zalika, and keepers are hopeful they will breed in winter 2024. Both of Halls Gap’s foxes passed away in 2023 from aged-related illnesses, reducing the holders in the region to four.

Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia

0.1 Zhara (Zinder x Kebilli) 19/12/2012 Transferred from Taronga 2019
1.0 Kito (Zinder x Kebilli) 17/09/2013 Transferred from D’Aguilar 2021, Transferred from Mogo

Billabong Zoo, NSW, Australia

1.0 Akoke (Matthew x Scamp) 17/10/2011 Transferred 2017
0.1 Shendi (Matthew x Scamp) 17/10/2011 Transferred 2017
1.0 Dahni (Azizi/Sundai x Belle) 23/10/2020 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)

Central Coast Zoo, NSW, Australia

0.1 Belle/Bellata (Tizga x Amber) 09/01/2013 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)
1.0 Sundai (Zinder x Kebilli) 17/09/2013 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)

Taronga Zoo, NSW, Australia

0.1 Zalika (Zinder x Kebilli) 03/12/2016
1.0 Kareru (unk x unk) 00/00/0000 Imported from Japan 2023

Fennec Fox Population Total: 9 (5.4)
 
akasha said:
Fennec Fox 2024

The main Fennec Fox news for 2023 was the import of a male, Kareru, from Japan by Taronga. He has been paired with their female, Zalika, and keepers are hopeful they will breed in winter 2024. Both of Halls Gap’s foxes passed away in 2023 from aged-related illnesses, reducing the holders in the region to four.

Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia

0.1 Zhara (Zinder x Kebilli) 19/12/2012 Transferred from Taronga 2019
1.0 Kito (Zinder x Kebilli) 17/09/2013 Transferred from D’Aguilar 2021, Transferred from Mogo

Billabong Zoo, NSW, Australia

1.0 Akoke (Matthew x Scamp) 17/10/2011 Transferred 2017
0.1 Shendi (Matthew x Scamp) 17/10/2011 Transferred 2017
1.0 Dahni (Azizi/Sundai x Belle) 23/10/2020 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)

Central Coast Zoo, NSW, Australia

0.1 Belle/Bellata (Tizga x Amber) 09/01/2013 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)
1.0 Sundai (Zinder x Kebilli) 17/09/2013 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)

Taronga Zoo, NSW, Australia

0.1 Zalika (Zinder x Kebilli) 03/12/2016
1.0 Kareru (unk x unk) 00/00/0000 Imported from Japan 2023

Fennec Fox Population Total: 9 (5.4)
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With an ageing population we could very well be down to just three individuals in a few years time.

Fingers crossed Taronga’s pair successfully breed this year.

I guess the positive of the deaths of the older individuals is that it will open up opportunities for the other facilities to import new individuals from overseas, which would be extremely beneficial to the region.
 
akasha said:
Fennec Fox 2024

The main Fennec Fox news for 2023 was the import of a male, Kareru, from Japan by Taronga. He has been paired with their female, Zalika, and keepers are hopeful they will breed in winter 2024. Both of Halls Gap’s foxes passed away in 2023 from aged-related illnesses, reducing the holders in the region to four.

Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia

0.1 Zhara (Zinder x Kebilli) 19/12/2012 Transferred from Taronga 2019
1.0 Kito (Zinder x Kebilli) 17/09/2013 Transferred from D’Aguilar 2021, Transferred from Mogo

Billabong Zoo, NSW, Australia

1.0 Akoke (Matthew x Scamp) 17/10/2011 Transferred 2017
0.1 Shendi (Matthew x Scamp) 17/10/2011 Transferred 2017
1.0 Dahni (Azizi/Sundai x Belle) 23/10/2020 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)

Central Coast Zoo, NSW, Australia

0.1 Belle/Bellata (Tizga x Amber) 09/01/2013 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)
1.0 Sundai (Zinder x Kebilli) 17/09/2013 (on loan from D'Aguilar Wildlife)

Taronga Zoo, NSW, Australia

0.1 Zalika (Zinder x Kebilli) 03/12/2016
1.0 Kareru (unk x unk) 00/00/0000 Imported from Japan 2023

Fennec Fox Population Total: 9 (5.4)
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Jambo said:
With an ageing population we could very well be down to just three individuals in a few years time.

Fingers crossed Taronga’s pair successfully breed this year.

I guess the positive of the deaths of the older individuals is that it will open up opportunities for the other facilities to import new individuals from overseas, which would be extremely beneficial to the region.
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It’s surprising that for a small mammal species that’s popular with the general public and can be easily imported, we only have four regional holders.

A number of the Fennec foxes we have are related, so new founders would be beneficial; but depending on breeding success at Taronga, I can just as easily see them supplying the other holders with offspring from their pair over the next few years (in replacement of their elderly individuals). I’d like to be proved wrong however, a sustainable population would be preferable imo.
 
JM01 said:
I really hope Fennec Foxes dont get phased out in Australia
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I’ll be honest, I’m not optimistic of their future. Currently the whole population hinges on a nearly nine year old female at Taronga Zoo breeding with the male she’s apparently failed to breed with in the two years they’ve been together.

They’re also not in Adelaide’s future plans.
 
Zoofan15 said:
I’ll be honest, I’m not optimistic of their future. Currently the whole population hinges on a nearly nine year old female at Taronga Zoo breeding with the male she’s apparently failed to breed with in the two years they’ve been together.

They’re also not in Adelaide’s future plans.
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Damn, it would be a real shame given Australia's lack of captive exotic canidae species. I really wish we had more.
 
JM01 said:
Damn, it would be a real shame given Australia's lack of captive exotic canidae species. I really wish we had more.
Click to expand...

More imports are required to get a sustainable population going in the region and an increase in holders would be beneficial.

Looking at past and current holders, it seems a similar story to the Maned wolf in that it’s predominantly the regional zoos interested in this species. Adelaide have confined their elderly pair will remain on site until their deaths, but there’s no indication they’ll acquire more; which would leave Taronga as the only main zoo exhibiting them. Taronga could easily fill their exhibit with meerkats or similar.
 
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