Snowy owl & Arctic fox » Highland Wildlife Park

Snowy owl & Arctic fox
22-08-2008

After seeing last Fridays Michaelas zoo babies, it was mentioned that the parks pair of snowy owls had laid eggs for the first time in a few years.
But then i thought snowy owls are ground nesting birds!
So what will happen with a pair of pure bred Arctic fox in the same enclosure, will the owls defend the nest or will the eggs be removed?
I also read an article from an old copy of IZN, about a set of enclosures at Dresden zoo where they have a similar set up with their owls and pure bred foxes (both groups supplied by Helsinki zoo), but they keep 2.0 snowy owls as they couldn't guarantee the safety of any eggs laid, and wanted to concentrate on the foxes.

Snowy owl and arctic fox at the hwp » ZooBeat Photo Gallery

22-08-2008

As far as I know Highland have had eggs in the past, but Arctic fox predation has always meant no chicks. I think also that they have never had fox pups either, possible from vice versa. Believe me Arctic foxes aren't hard to breed and you end up with loads!

I have also witnessed red fox predation on captive snowies of both sitting female and eggs.