Unusual Birth: A Fascinating African Mammal Welcomed at English Zoo

A baby aardvark, a mammal found only in Africa, was born last month at Colchester Zoo in England

Aardvark baby born

Colchester Zoo, in Essex, England, has announced the birth of a newborn aardvark. This small mammal was born on November 23, to parents who have been at the zoo since 2023 according to the BBC. A birth that brought joy to all members of the English zoo.

Indeed, a spokesperson for Colchester Zoo told the English media “We are delighted to see that Koos has settled in really well and that the pair have managed to welcome another addition to the group, thus contributing to the conservation of this species.”

Aardvarks, a species endemic to Africa

Aardvarks, Orycteropus in Latin, are mammals that live in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also sometimes called “earth pig” because of its resemblance to pigs. Being able to measure up to 1.30 m as adults, they have the particularity of having a very elongated head with a tubular snout.

Living mainly at night, they search for termites and ants, their main sources of nutrients, which they catch using their 30 cm tongue. Although this species is considered “least concern” on the IUCN list, it has many predators such as lions, hyenas and leopards.

Other species native to Africa

Apart from aardvarks, many other species are endemic to the African continent. It must be said that there are numerous spaces which allow multitudes of species to live and develop, notably the Congo Basin, the second largest rainforest in the world behind the Amazon, and which extends over six countries.

Concerning the species found in Africa, there is for example the African penguin, a seabird which is only found on the South African coasts. Better known, there are the zebras, the giraffe, the rhino and the Nile crocodile.

Source: BBC