Israel Giving Rare Fox to National Zoo
Israel will give the National Zoo an adult male fennec fox on Friday, the first of seven exotic animals it will send to the United States.
The seven animals are being sent to the zoo by the Hai-Bar Society of Israel, recipient of a similar gift from the Smithsonian Institution in the 1970s.
Michael Robinson, director of the National Zoo, said the arrival of the fox is a fine example of global cooperation to save exotic animals.
Although fennecs are not listed as an endangered species, they are becoming less common and are now legally protected in at least one North African country.
“If it didn’t exist, Walt Disney would have created it,” Robinson said. “The fennec is a charming beast.”
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