Newborn fennec foxes frolic in Ramat Gan Safari

Small North African natives, distinctive for their large ears, are second litter born to British mom and French dad

The Ramat Gan Safari introduced its new additions Sunday: four 7-week-old fennec fox kits.

The four are the offspring of proud parents Penny, who was born in the UK and came to Israel five years ago, and French fox Louie, who came to Israel four years ago. Both parents are seven years old.

Penny gave also birth to three kits in 2014, of which just two survived, Ynet reported. The pair, a male and a female, still live in the same enclosure with their parents and the new babies.

Fennecs are the smallest members of the fox family, distinctive for their large ears. In the wild they live in the north African Sahara and are adapted to high-temperature, low-water environments.

A seven-week old fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) at the Ramat Gan Safari zoo, November 6, 2016. (AFP PHOTO / JACK GUEZ)

In captivity fennecs can live up to 14 years. They are omnivores, eating a variety of insects, rodents, eggs and small birds, as well as plants. Their main predator in the wild is the eagle owl. The fennec is not considered an endangered species.

A fully-grown fennec weighs 0.68-1.59 kilograms (1.5-3.5 pounds), with a body length of 24-41 centimeters (9-16 inches); it stands approximately 20 centimeters (8 inches) high.

The Ramat Gan Safari is home to almost 100 species of mammal and a similar number of birds. It incorporates a drive-through safari with a zoo in the middle of the park, which replaced the former Tel Aviv zoo.