SAINT LOUIS ZOO CAM ZOOMS IN ON FENNEC FOXES COURTESY OF SEARS PORTRAIT STUDIO WEB CAM

	The St. Louis Zoo's fennec foxes don't usually pose for portraits, but visitors to Sears Portrait Studio's new online web cam will see that these small foxes are  not camera shy.  The fennec fox has been chosen as the first species to be featured on Sears Portrait Studio's new online Zoo Cam, available on the internet, free of charge, at www.searsportrait.com.   	

	In addition, children 11 years of age and younger are invited to download a special coloring page from the Sears Portrait Studio web site, which they can color and turn in at the Zoo's Emerson Children's Zoo ticket window to receive one free admission with one adult paid admission.  Coloring pages that are clearly marked with the child's name, address and daytime phone number can also be entered into a drawing at the Zoo.  Winners, who will be chosen at random, can win one of five prize packages.  Each prize includes a St. Louis Zoo fennec fox adoption package, family membership package, and portrait package from Sears Portrait Studio.  Children may also enter the drawing by submitting completed coloring pages to St. Louis Zoo, Art Contest, One Government Drive, St. Louis, MO  63110.  Complete prize package information and rules are available on the Saint Louis Zoo Web site at www.stlzoo.org.

	"Zoo Cam is an exciting addition to the many free interactive activities already offered on our web site that are designed to be enjoyed by young children and their parents," said Steve Glickman, executive vice president of marketing for Sears Portrait Studio.  "The fennec foxes from the world famous St. Louis Zoo are just the first in a series of different species that we will be featuring."

	From a camera mounted in the spacious fennec fox exhibit in the new Children's Zoo, online visitors can observe these animals, which are the smallest member of the fox  family and characterized by very large ears. One of the highlights will be the opportunity to observe the fennec foxes at enrichment time, which occurs each day at 1:15 p.m., central daylight time.

	In addition to the Zoo Cam, the Sears Portrait Studio site features several fun and interesting facts about where the fennec fox lives in the wild (desert areas of North Africa and parts of the Middle East); their average size (14-16 inches long and weighing about two pounds); what they like to eat (small mammals or lizards); and why it has fur on the bottom of its feet (to protect feet from burning on hot sand).  Although the fennec fox is nocturnal, a special infrared light makes them visible 24-hours a day.

	The St. Louis Zoo, one of the few free zoos in the U.S., is renowned for its natural exhibits, diverse collection of animals and dedication to conserving endangered species and their habitats.  The Zoo attracts about 3,000,000 visitors each year.