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My! What Big Ears You Have

Bat-eared fox kits

Three bat-eared fox kits named Helen, Jane, and Edward, were born at Desert’s Edge in
March to 7-year-old Stella and 10-year-old Pombe. A unique characteristic of the bat-eared fox
is its large ears, which each measures more than 5 inches tall. The huge ears give the fox the
excellent hearing it needs to hunt the quiet, hard-to-find insects that are a huge part of its diet.

Paired Up

Mexican wolf pack

In December, a 7-year-old male Mexican wolf, Apache,
arrived at Brookfield Zoo from Albuquerque Bio Park
in New Mexico. He was paired with 2-year-old female
Ela and they became the new alpha pair at Brookfield
Zoo. Since Mexican wolves are one of the world’s rarest
species, breeding in protective care is critical for the
species’ survival. Currently, there are only about 114
Mexican wolves living in the wild in the U.S. and
approximately 31 in Mexico. As part of its continued
partnership in the multi-agency Mexican Wolf
Recovery Program, the Chicago Zoological Society has
collaborated on two cross-fosterings of pups born at the
zoo. One of the zoo’s adult females was released into the
wild and subsequently had a litter of pups. CZS has also
taken part in population-wide fertility studies to evaluate
methods to improve the animals’ pregnancy rates.

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