I am…a two-pound attention hound. But don’t underestimate my resilience. I can survive some of the harshest conditions on the planet.

I am Daisy.

There’s small but mighty, and then there’s mighty small. Fennec foxes happen to be both. Meet Daisy, a member of the world’s smallest canid species, found mostly in northern Africa and the Sahara Desert. This half-pint predator weighs in at only two pounds and a few ounces, fully grown.

Daisy was born at the Saint Louis Zoo on April 4, 2015. She came to us when the Zoo extended the opportunity for us to join the Fennec Fox SSP (Species Survival Plan). Her home here includes an elaborate indoor enclosure as well as the largest outdoor fennec fox enclosure in the US.

Daisy charms pretty much anyone she meets with her big personality and expressive dark eyes, and is an excellent ambassador for her species. All that charm packed into such a cute little package, however, is part of what makes fennec foxes and other “cute” wild animals victims of everything from the illegal pet trade to the inhumane horrors of trapping. Daisy gives us an opportunity to have open dialogues around these sensitive topics, enabling people to feel a connection to these animals and build an appreciation for them.

With the help of animal ambassadors like Daisy, we know that the more people know about these animals, the more they’ll understand about them, and ultimately, the more they’ll care.

This animated little ambassador steals hearts every quarter during our Foxy Friday events, where guests enjoy wine and cheese in Daisy’s company. It suits her to a tee to be the center of attention. She loves spending time around the guests, and showing off a few of the behaviors she’s learned in her daily enrichment activities with her keepers.

Daisy reminds us of some wonderful things about the animal kingdom, like how marvelously resilient they can be – even in the harshest of environments like the Sahara. And yet, despite their amazing adaptations, how completely vulnerable they can be to dangers imposed by humans. Your adoption of Daisy helps us carry these messages forward, out of our Center and into classrooms and organizations.

But there’s something else we love about our Daisy. This curious, intelligent bundle of personality also reminds us that, when it comes to standing up for wildlife, none of us can afford to play small any more. Each of us have the power within us to be mighty indeed. Let that power bloom.

Adopt Daisy