Baby Fennec Foxes and 'Momma' Are Guests at The Children's Museum

It's the kind of heartwarming story that combines good deeds, ingenuity, a biology lesson, and some really cute baby animals all into one.

On Saturday, Momma and the baby fennec foxes she nursed made their debut at in West Hartford, to the delight of many families who made a special trip to see them or stopped by enroute to a planetarium show or other activity at the museum.

What's so remarkable about this story is that Momma is a foxhound – a breed of dog traditionally used to hunt and kill foxes, not nurse them.

The fennec foxes were born at the LEO (Lionshare Educational Organization) Zoological Conservation Center in Greenwich. When the birth of the fox pups was imminent, Marcella Leone, owner of LEO, began looking for a surrogate mother since the foxes' own mother had neglected a previous litter.

Leone worked closely with Adopt-a-Dog in Greenwich, and together the two organizations located Momma, who had just weaned her own puppies, at a kill shelter in North Carolina. Allyson Halm, president of Adopt-a-Dog, said the dog was located quickly, and they did not even think about the irony of using a foxhound. The shelter in North Carolina transported Momma part of the way to Connecticut, and a representative from her organization made a 13-hour roundtrip to pick up Momma somewhere in Virginia.

"Momma took to them immediately," Halm said of the dogs introduction to the newborn fennec foxes. "She was nursing them within minutes."

The fox pups are now four months old, and one has already departed for the Metro Zoo in Richmond, Va. Male pups Calvin and Hobbes, and female Suzie (who will eventually relocate to Safari West in Santa Rosa, Ca.) can be seen with Momma at The Children's Museum for the remaining two weekends in November.

Fennec foxes, which are nocturnal desert-dwellers native to North Africa, look remarkable different from the red foxes that are relatively common in this part of the country. They are petite – averaging only 2.2 pounds fully grown – and have long ears to dissipate heat and for hearing their prey (rodents and insects) underground.

"We think this is a 'must-see' for anyone who's got a child – or anyone ages 4-104," said Robert Griesmer, newly-appointed President and CEO of The Children's Museum. "It's a human interest story, and something different which fits in with the mission of the museum's wildlife sanctuary that provides a home for animals in need.," Griesmer said.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Momma and view the fennec fox pups in the Critter Corner area of the museum, which is appropriately decorated as a desert habitat, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays, Nov. 18 and 26 plus Friday, Nov. 25, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays, Nov. 19 and 27.

A visit with Momma and the fennec fox pups is included with the museum's admission charge. Various animal rescue organizations will be on hand throughout Momma and the foxes’ visit to talk to visitors about the importance of responsible pet ownership and acquiring pets from shelters and rescues.