An African bat-eared fox kit and lesser hedgehog tenrec youngsters recently joined the Zoo’s animal family.
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden’s animal family has grown with the arrival of babies for two species: lesser hedgehog tenrecs and African bat-eared foxes. Both animal groups can be found in Expedition Africa, presented by the Inasmuch Foundation.
The lesser hedgehog tenrec mother, Orona, was moved off of public view when her pregnancy was discovered and has since given birth to four youngsters on Friday, May 23, 2025. She and her offspring are doing well and the care team allowed them to time bond behind the scenes before they were returned to the habitat inside the Love’s Pachyderm Building.
The female African bat-eared fox kit was born Friday, June 6, 2025 in the habitat and caretakers noticed the adult foxes were guarding a hollow log, with the newborn kit hidden safely within.
“Both of these births are an exciting addition to our animal family and signify a continued commitment to supporting the breeding recommendations we receive from the Species Survival Plan® [SSP],” said Tyler Boyd, OKC Zoo Curator of Carnivores. “We’re excited to celebrate our first lesser hedgehog tenrec birth and our first bat-eared fox kit born here at the Zoo since 2011.”
The bat-eared fox mother, Jen, came to the Zoo in 2021 with a male fox after the pair were rescued by the Wildcare Foundation in Noble, Oklahoma. They had been privately owned prior to their rescue. While Jenn survived, the male fox she arrived with passed away in January 2023.
Lesser hedgehog tenrecs are endemic to the African island of Madagascar and have backs covered in sharp spines. Lesser hedgehog tenrecs are classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
African bat-eared foxes are native to the savannas and scrublands of eastern and southern Africa. The largely nocturnal carnivores have a diet of insects (termites and ants) and mice and live in mating pairs with their young. They have an average life span of up to 13 years in human care. A distinctive feature for these foxes are their enormous ears, which can grow to over five-inches-long. Their large ears not only provide a very good sense of hearing, but also work to regulate their body temperature. According to the IUCN, bat-eared foxes are listed as a species of least concern, meaning their population in the wild is not currently under threat.
Gather your pack for a visit to Expedition Africa, the Zoo’s newest and largest ever habitat expansion, to see these new arrivals, as well as the state-of-the-art Giraffe House, Lion Overlook, Predator Pass, and more.
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