A beloved female fennec fox died at the Phoenix Zoo last week, leaving guests, staff and animal companions with a "heavy heart," according to a Facebook post by zoo officials on Wednesday.

Weighing in at around 1kg, the fennec fox is the smallest of all the foxes. As a resident across the Sahara desert and other parts of North Africa the fennec’s long hairs may seem a bit out of ...

Fennec foxes are the world's smallest canid and live in the deserts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. They are not endangered but are threatened by hunting and the exotic pet trade.