Joy as first baby aardvark is born at Chester Zoo

Um adorável Aardvark nasceu no Zoológico de Chester pela primeira vez nos 90 anos de história da instituição de caridade. As orelhas, a pele enrugada sem pêlos e garras gigantes, atualmente estão sendo criadas à mão todas as noites por zookeepers que estão prestando cuidados dedicados, alimentando o bebê a cada poucas horas durante a noite por cerca de cinco semanas, para ajudar a ganhar força. Caráter. Eles também são caçados por sua carne. Personagem de Potter, Dobby, e esse é o apelido do bezerro por enquanto! No entanto, não sabemos ao certo se é homem ou mulher por mais algumas semanas até que o bezerro seja um pouco mais velho. 

Conservationists at the zoo were “overjoyed” to discover the new arrival snuggled up with mum Oni (8) and dad Koos (6) after it had been born overnight on 4 January.

The calf, born with large droopy ears, hairless wrinkled skin and giant claws, is currently being hand-reared every evening by zookeepers who are providing dedicated care, feeding the baby every few hours through the night for around five weeks, to help it gain strength.

The sex of the new calf is yet to be determined but staff have nicknamed the youngster Dobby due to its resemblance to the much-loved Harry Potter character.

Aardvarks are native in sub-Saharan Africa where they are threatened by habitat loss as a result of agricultural development, which also bring them into conflict with local farmers. They are also hunted for their meat.

Dave White, Team Manager at the zoo, said:

“This is the very first aardvark to be born at the zoo and so it’s a momentous landmark for us and a real cause for celebration. We’re overjoyed.

“As soon as we spotted the new baby next to mum we noticed its uncanny resemblance to the Harry Potter character, Dobby, and so that’s the calf’s nickname for the time being! We won’t though know for certain whether it’s male or female for several more weeks until the calf is a little older. 

“Aardvark parents are notorious for being a little clumsy around their newborns. With the baby being so tiny and fragile, we’re therefore protecting it from any accidental knocks and bumps by helping mum out with supplementary feeding sessions throughout the night, just until the calf is a little stronger. So, in the evening, when the parents are out exploring and feeding, we carefully place the calf into a special incubator and take Casa para alimentar com leite quente a cada poucas horas. Brayshaw, curador de mamíferos no zoológico, adicionado:

With only 66 aardvarks found in zoos across Europe, and a mere 109 in zoos worldwide, Chester is one of just a small number of zoos caring for the species.

Mark Brayshaw, Curator of Mammals at the zoo, added:

“Aardvarks são criaturas bastante secretas, que são principalmente sempre ativas na escuridão, e portanto, alguns aspectos de como eles fazem suas vidas permanecem relativamente desconhecidos. Cuidar de espécies como Aardvarks nos zoológicos nos permite aprender mais sobre elas - como elas vivem, seus comportamentos e sua biologia. Todas essas informações são compartilhadas com outros zoológicos de conservação líder e ajudam a informar melhor nossos esforços para preservar seus números. Os animais noturnos usam seus narizes longos e um forte olfato para farejar formigas e cupins, que eles levam com uma língua comprida medindo até 25 cm, cobertas de saliva pegajosa. Os Aardvarks usam suas garras poderosas para rasgar montes de cupins abertos, bem como cavar tocas subterrâneas nas quais dormem. Nesta primavera, a nova campanha do Chester Zoo, descobre algo novo, lançará um destaque importante sobre espécies incomuns e menos conhecidas, como Aardvarks. Para mais, visite:

“This new calf joins a conservation breeding programme that only a handful of zoos are part of globally.”

The word aardvark translates to “earth pig” in the language of Afrikaans. The nocturnal animals use their long noses and keen sense of smell to sniff out ants and termites, which they lap up with a long tongue measuring up to 25cm, covered in sticky saliva. Aardvarks use their powerful claws to tear open termite mounds, as well as to dig underground burrows in which they sleep. This spring, Chester Zoo’s new campaign, Discover Something New, will throw an important spotlight on unusual and lesser known species, like aardvarks. For more, visit: https: //www.chesterzoo.org/discover-something-new/