Aardvark

Memphis Zoo Welcomes New Aardvark, Grogu!

Grogu was born on exhibit inside Animals of the Night before the Memphis Zoo opened on Thursday, September 22nd. Veterinary staff confirmed his mother's pregnancy via ultrasound in June, and the gestation for aardvarks is about seven months. Grogu's mother is named Sunshine, and his father is named Boss. Grogu is being hand-reared by keepers, as aardvarks can accidentally hurt an infant while moving around a larger space. Grogu was about 3 lbs. 11 oz when he was born.

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A Female Aardvark Has Given Birth At Prague Zoo

An aardvark pup was born at the Prague Zoo on Sunday July 10 just after nine o'clock in the morning. The now two-week-old pup drinks breast milk from its mother Kvída. According to keepers, it is active. At birth, the pup weighed 1,450 grams and measured 54 cm in length, which is a reasonable birth weight and size for aardvarks.

"We welcomed the little rascal into the world on Sunday at 9.12, the birth went quickly, the cub got its first drink from its mother at noon and now tries to drink every one to two hours. We don't know its gender yet, it will only be revealed by DNA analysis of hair samples," says Zoo director Miroslav Bobek, who is happy about the new addition.

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San Diego Zoo Welcomes an Aardvark Cub

SAN DIEGO (June 14, 2022) – The San Diego Zoo has announced the birth of an aardvark cub—the first be born at the Zoo in more than 35 years. The female cub, yet to be named, was born May 10 to first-time aardvark parents, mother Zola and father Azaan. Wildlife care specialists report the cub is doing well, and Zola is a caring and attentive mother.

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Photos taken on June 10, 2022 by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

“We are elated to have this little cub in our care,” said Cari Inserra, lead wildlife care specialist, San Diego Zoo. “She is very active, and was using her sharp claws to dig like an adult aardvark, just hours after her birth.”

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Joy As First Baby Aardvark Is Born At Chester Zoo

An adorable aardvark has been born at Chester Zoo for the first time in the charity’s 90-year history.

ZConservationist Dave White is helping to hand rear the new calf  prodiving around-the-clock care (9)

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 aardvark calf  nicknamed Dobby  is being hand reared by experts at Chester Zoo who are providing around-the-clock care (14)

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 first aardvark to ever be born at Chester Zoo  nicknamed Dobby  snuggles up with new mum Oni (23)

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.

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Longleat Keepers Welcome Animal ‘A’ Team

 

‘A’ is for aardvark, anteater and armadillo - Keepers at Longleat are celebrating the births of their very own animal ‘A’ team.

Among the new arrivals is a baby aardvark, the first to have been born at the Wiltshire safari park.

Weighing a little more than a kilogramme at birth, the bizarre-looking calf is born without hair, has drooping ears and wrinkled skin.

Over time it develops hair, the long ears become upright and the wrinkles slowly disappear.

“This is our first ever aardvark birth so we are paying particularly close attention to how the calf is growing and checking its weight daily,” said Team Manager Catriona Carr.

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“Aardvark calves can be fragile in their first stages of life, and parents can sometimes be a bit clumsy so we are closely monitoring mother and baby and helping with feeding sessions until the calf has got stronger and can look after itself,” she added.

Originally from Sub-Saharan Africa, aardvarks are renowned for their tunnelling abilities and are capable of digging through a metre of soil in under 30 seconds.

The two-metre-long mammals have specially-adapted spade-like claws on their front legs which allow them to dig out up to 50,000 bugs in a single evening.

They also have tongues measuring in excess of 30cms and nostrils, which they can completely close to prevent dirt getting into their noses.

The other members of the ‘A’ Team are a baby giant anteater and a pair of six-banded armadillos.

Giant anteaters originate from Central and South America and can be found in tropical and deciduous forests.

As its name suggests the giant anteater is the largest of the anteater family and can grow to over two metres in length with tongues that extend to more than 60cm.

The new arrival is the latest success story for Longleat captive breeding programme for the species, which is officially listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. 

As for armadillos, the name comes from the Spanish for ‘little armoured one’ and refers to the hard, protective bands which cover their bodies and protects them from predators. This protective layer is actually made from keratin, the same material which is in our hair and nails.


Baby Aardvark The Newest Arrival at Bioparc Valencia

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On May 12, Bioparc Valencia announced a rare birth: a baby Aardvark was born!

The baby joins a family of mom, dad, and two siblings. For now, mom and baby have private living quarters so they can properly bond and rest. Keepers report that mom and baby appear to be doing well, and they check on the pair often during these critical early weeks. Twice a day, the baby is inspected and weighed to make sure it is gaining weight at a steady pace.

Primavera 2019 - Nace una nueva cría de oricteropo en BIOPARC Valencia (6)
Primavera 2019 - Nace una nueva cría de oricteropo en BIOPARC Valencia (6)Photo Credit: Bioparc Valencia

Eventually, mom and baby (who keepers suspect is a female) will join the family in the outdoor habitat, where they spend the evenings digging holes in search of insects as they would in the wild.

At birth, baby Aardvarks weigh about three pounds and have droopy ears and hairless, wrinkled skin. As the baby grows, the wrinkles gradually disappear and the ears are held upright.  Body hair starts to appear at five to six weeks of age.

Aardvarks are native to sub-Saharan Africa and spend their days hidden in burrows. At night, they emerge and search for ants and termites to eat. Aardvarks’ huge claws dig small trenches in the soil as they sniff and listen for insect activity. Using the long, sticky tongue, Aardvarks lick up thousands of ants and termites – as many as 50,000 per night.

Bioparc Valencia houses the only reproductive group of Aardvarks in Spain.




Prague Zoo’s New Aardvark on Exhibit with Mom

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Prague Zoo announced that visitors might be able to catch a glimpse of the zoo’s new baby Aardvark. The cub was born on April 22 and will now be on-exhibit, with mom, for a few hours each day.

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4_32191933_1697232347027355_7189550399081152512_oPhoto Credits: Prague Zoo

The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal that is native to Africa. Elephant Shrews, Hyraxes, and Elephants are among the closest living relatives of the Aardvark.

It has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It is a nocturnal feeder and subsists mainly on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs.

The Aardvark also digs to create burrows in which to live and rear its young.

After a gestation of about seven months, females generally give birth to one cub. At around nine weeks of age, the youngster is able to leave the burrow to accompany mother in search of food.

Although they are not considered common anywhere in Africa, their large range allows them to maintain sufficient numbers. The IUCN currently classifies the Aardvark as “Least Concern”; however, they are a species in a precarious situation. Since they are so dependent on such a specific food source, if a problem arises with the population of termites, the species as a whole would be affected drastically.


Aadorable Aardvark Born at Cincinnati Zoo

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Meet the latest “aaddition” to the Cincinnati Zoo: a little male Aardvark! Born on December 21 to mom Ali, the newborn is healthy and weighs just over four pounds. For now, the baby is bonding with Ali behind the scenes.

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25994936_10155813418620479_485975902406650425_nPhoto Credit: Cincinnati Zoo

Aardvarks are mammals, so the babies nurse from their mothers. They are nocturnal creatures, emerging from burrows at sunset to feed on ants at termites all night long. Aardvarks are found in all types of habitats south of Africa’s Sahara Desert.

The Aardvark’s long snout is held close to the ground while foraging for food. Once ants or termites are detected, they Aardvark uses its strong foreclaws to dig out enough dirt to reveal the insects. Using its long, sticky tongue, the Aardvark can collect up to 50,000 insects in a single night. The large ears remain upright, helping to detect predators while the Aardvark is feeding.

Aardvarks are not listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being under threat, but some believe their numbers may be declining.

 


Aardvark Arrives for Bioparc Valencia’s Anniversary

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On January 28, an Aardvark was born at BIOPARC Valencia in Spain. The birth increased the number of this particular family at the park to a total of five, which includes the parents and two other females (also born in the park).

The new mom is taking excellent care of the new cub, and staff reports that supplemental care and feeding are not required for the new Aardvark. However, keepers constantly monitor the cub’s weight and work to assure that the appropriate temperature and humidity are provided in the new families den. Every night a thorough review of the animal takes place and the cub is cleaned, weighed and its skin is moisturized.

If the cub continues the current healthy pattern of growth and development, he may be placed on-exhibit in time for the park’s 9th anniversary. (In February, BIOPARC Valencia celebrates 9 years of love for nature and will show their appreciation to the public by offering discounted admission rates.)

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4_Bebé oricteropo - cerdo hormiguero - recién nacido en BIOPARC Valencia bjPhoto Credits: BIOPARC Valencia

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