Zoo goes batty for new duo

TWO female bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo - the first of their kind to be seen at the zoo in more than 30 years.

- BY JOSH PENNINGTON

The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by the zoo's conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, France.

First images show the pair exploring their home at Chester, located in the zoo's new Heart of Africa habitat - the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.

The species is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is endemic to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa. In the wild, bat-eared foxes face increasing threats, largely due to habitat loss caused by agriculture, human encroachment and hunting.

Zoo experts say that, in future, they plan to introduce one of the sisters to a male fox and go on to play a vital role in the conservation breeding programme that is working to safeguard the species.