Steppe foxes born at Eindhoven Zoo for first time in nearly a decade

A special birth in Eindhoven Zoo. For the first time in eight years, steppe foxes have given birth in the park near Eindhoven.

They are two cubs, whose gender is not yet known. In total, only five steppe foxes have been born worldwide in the past 12 months. "That two of these five cubs can be seen in our park is really very special. From May 19, as it looks now, we will be able to open our doors again. Visitors can then come and spot the two hatchlings," says head of animal care Stephan Rijnen.

In the denVisitors must be lucky then: the two young steppe foxes are currently still staying a lot in the den dug by the mother before giving birth. "Now and then, curious as they are, they come out very briefly. In a few weeks, the cubs, who are doing very well, will leave the den," Rijnen says.

Eindhoven Zoo welcomed a new male steppe fox in October 2020. Rijnen: "So he obviously felt at home with us very quickly, given that he provided offspring so quickly. That is a good sign and we are therefore very happy with our two foxes."

Broad habitatThe steppe fox is found in Central Asia, in an area east of the Volga River. There, as its name indicates, it lives on the steppes, but this species also occurs in semi-deserts. In addition to the steppe fox digging its own burrow before giving birth, these animals often occupy burrows dug by other animals.

One such species is the marmot. At the same time, this is also a threat to the steppe fox: in fact, the number of marmots is decreasing, which means that there are also fewer burrows to be found. The steppe fox is also hunted because of their fur.

Want to know more about the steppe fox? Viewhere all information.