News and Stories

Kalahari, also known as Kal, the bat-eared fox kit is growing quickly and eager to step into his role as an ambassador animal at the Cincinnati Zoo. One of the key parts of this is voluntarily participating in training.

Training at this age is essential for bonding with his care staff, helping him be prepared for things in the future like vet care and programs and the training is essential for his development.

He is a very smart fox and picking up on his training very quickly. We use positive reinforcement training, and his favorite food reward right now is his meat! We started with a few simple behaviors like “sit” “circle” and “turn.” He was a little spooked by the clicker at first, so we had to desensitize him to it and now he understands that it means he did the behavior correctly and a treat is incoming! He is also learning how to voluntarily crate so that he can travel around the zoo for programs one day.

We love seeing him learn and grow and are continuing to add more and more to each training session. The training also helps with his confidence as he grows into his ambassador role so he can one day be a part of the Kroger Cheetah Encounter and meet guests around the park one day!

Kal was born on 4/5/2024. Bat-eared foxes have giant ears and exceptional hearing that helps them locate insects to eat.  They also have more teeth than most mammals, making it easier to consume live prey. Adult bat-eared foxes measure between 18 to 26 inches and weigh 7 to 12 pounds.  

Native to eastern and southern Africa, bat-eared foxes thrive in open grasslands. Although not endangered, they face challenges due to fur hunting and perceived threats to livestock. 

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