Unnamed Aardvark cub at the San Diego Zoo
Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
- The San Diego Zoo welcomed its first aardvark cub in 35 years.
- The unnamed cub is developing quickly, zoo staff said, but will remain hidden from the public for two months.
- “She is very active, and was using her sharp claws to dig like an adult aardvark, just hours after her birth,” a wildlife specialist said.
A baby aardvark was born at the San Diego Zoo, a first in nearly four decades.
The cute cub was born to parents Zola and Azaan on May 10 at 4 pounds. She has since quickly grown to 13 pounds, zoo staff said in a statement.
“We are elated to have this little cub in our care,” said Cari Inserra, lead wildlife care specialist at the San Diego Zoo said in a statement. “She is very active, and was using her sharp claws to dig like an adult aardvark, just hours after her birth.”
Aardvark cub digging a hole
Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
The zoo said that the cub rarely leaves its mother’s side and will remain in an “off-view habitat” with her for two months to allow them to bond. The mother will then decide to bring the cub outside when she is ready.
“Zola is an excellent mother, and nurses her cub frequently… We can’t wait until we are able to introduce the cub to our Zoo guests, helping them learn more about this remarkable species,” Inserra said.
Aardvarks are nocturnal animals native to sub-Saharan Africa. Their diet consists mostly of insects.
They have a “pig-like snout, a long, strong tail, and poor eyesight, but a keen sense of smell,” according to the zoo.
