PREVIEW

Zookeepers at Chester Zoo have helped raise a rare newborn aardvark by bottle-feeding it warm milk after its mother struggled to produce enough milk.

The calf, nicknamed “Womble” by staff, is only the second aardvark ever born at the zoo in its 94-year history.

Keepers said the youngster was born healthy to mother Oni, but required supplementary feeding during its first weeks of life.

As aardvarks are nocturnal animals, staff carried out feeds overnight while Oni left to forage for food.

The calf’s nickname was inspired by the fictional Wombles from the children’s books and television series, with keepers saying its wrinkled hairless skin, long snout and oversized claws bore a resemblance to the characters.

Sophie Tyson, one of the zoo’s keepers, said: “Oni’s new arrival is only the second aardvark to be born at the zoo in our 94-year history, so it’s a really special addition for us all.

“While we don’t yet know whether the calf is male or female, as it’s a little too young for us to tell, the nickname ‘Womble’ has definitely stuck. With the calf’s giant ears, long snout and playful personality, we think it’s the perfect fit for the time being.

“Aardvarks spend their days sleeping and are most active at night, so while mum Oni heads off to forage for food, we’ve been giving the calf some extra support to help it grow stronger.”

Tyson said keepers spent several weeks caring for the calf overnight in a specially heated incubator.

“For the first few weeks, we placed the youngster into a cosy incubator each evening and it was bottle-fed warm milk every few hours throughout the night before being carefully reunited back with mum each morning,” she said.

“Womble has gone from strength to strength and is doing brilliantly, so now lives fulltime back with mum Oni - and it’s wonderful to see them snuggled up side-by-side together.”

The birth is considered significant because aardvarks are rare in zoos around the world.
There are currently only 68 aardvarks living in European zoos and 114 globally, according to Chester Zoo. Womble is also the only aardvark calf to be born in the UK since 2024.

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, aardvarks face threats in the wild from habitat loss linked to agricultural expansion, which can bring them into conflict with farmers. They are also hunted for meat in some areas.

The name “aardvark” comes from the Afrikaans language and means “earth pig”.

The animals are highly adapted to a nocturnal, underground lifestyle. They use their long snouts and powerful sense of smell to locate ants and termites, before digging them up with strong claws.

Their tongues, which can grow up to 25cm (10in) long, allow them to consume large numbers of insects quickly.

Zoo staff said the successful rearing of the calf was an important contribution to the international conservation breeding programme for the species.

They added that Womble was continuing to grow well and had already become a favourite among the animal care team.