Adoption profile: Fox

Adopting an animal is a fantastic way to support the work at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, Malawi’s only wildlife sanctuary.

Fox arrived at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in July 2018, having been found a couple of days previously by an observant person in Nkhata Bay. The rescuer noticed that Fox had been left at the side of a busy road, crying and scared. Surprised to see the young animal on its own and keen to help, he picked Fox up and kindly took care of him for 24 hours before we took him into our care at the Wildlife Centre. The rescuer made a wise decision to not keep Fox. Not only is keeping wildlife without a permit granted by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife an official crime, baboons and other primates should not be considered as being pets.

Fox was very young and required 24-hour care for his first couple of weeks with us. After settling in, he began to sleep for longer periods of time without waking throughout the night.

Fox consumed over $300 of milk in his first year with us before he was old enough to be weaned. It will be another 2 to 4 years before he can be released back into the wild. He has a long journey to go!

Fox was first introduced to his new foster mother, Kezi, one of our adult baboons at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre. Kezi is a devoted, loving mother and Fox settled into her care better than we could ever have hoped for! At the same time, Kezi also took on the role of mum to another of our rescued baby baboons, Doodle Bob — Fox became inseparable from his new step-brother.

They were then integrated into a baboon troop into a larger outdoor enclosure. This environment contains all the natural stimuli that Fox and his new family needs, and he spends his days leaping from branch to branch and playing all the games that baby baboons play. Between snoozing in the sun and causing mischief with Doodle Bob, Fox is also making new friends. He has a foster ‘dad’ called Batista who loves him very much and carries him around all the time. And he has also become good friends with Polly – a young female baboon who was recovering from a broken arm.

We managed to film this short video of Fox relaxing in between the play wrestling matches he’s recently been welcomed into with the older male juveniles.

To give Fox a £25 sponsorship for one year, please click Donate below.

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https://www.lilongwewildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/Fox-by-fence_baboon_March-2020_wildlife_LWC.mp4https://www.lilongwewildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/Fox-with-troop-in-trees_baboon_wildlife_LWC_Mar-2020.mp4