A wonderful moment occurred at Rome's Bioparco: five fennecs were born, the world's smallest canids—they weigh only one kilogram as adults—and have the greatest ears in proportion to their body size. "The babies are doing well," according to president Paola Palanza, an ethologist and full professor at the University of Parma. "We haven't yet determined their sex". "The mother, Bella, is seven years old and was born at the Bioparc. The male, Rocco, is the same age as the female and arrived at the Bioparc in October 2025 from Krakow Zoo as part of the European EEP projects, which promote species conservation through population management, research, and teaching in zoological facilities. The cubs were born approximately a month ago within their parents' burrow dug in the earth or sand, as is typical in nature, where the entire family spends a significant amount of time during the day. The mother is nursing them, and weaning has recently begun. Fennecs are an amazing example of desert adaptation: small carnivores, near cousins of foxes and other canids, have evolved special features to withstand the Sahara's harsh temperatures". The fennec is found throughout North Africa's sandy deserts and semi-desert environments, from Western Sahara to Egypt. The pair is territorial and monogamous, and they live with their kids as a family unit. As an omnivore, it eats insects, lizards, birds, eggs, small rodents, fruits, and tubers. Its ears, which can reach 10 cm in length, account for 20% of its total body surface area. They operate as thermoregulatory panels, dispersing excess heat while also providing the animal with superb hearing to identify prey moving beneath the sand. The primary threat to these species is increased human activities. Despite being officially protected in various countries, baby fennecs are seized in several North African local markets and sold illegally as pets or for souvenir photos with visitors. Adults are murdered for their fur, which is mostly utilized by locals.