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Colchester
Zoo's group of aardvarks are the only successful group to breed in the
UK; and they have continued to multiply with the birth of a new baby
aardvark on Saturday 27th February 2010!
The new arrival is the fourth offspring born to mum, Oq and dad; Adela,
and the fifth new baby born overall! The new baby and mum are also the
first to be moved into the new rearing burrow which has been specially
built to enhance the breeding success that has been experienced with
this species.
Female aardvarks naturally separate from their mates during the time
of new births in the wild, and the rearing burrow will provide mum and
baby with the much needed peace and privacy to bond during this important
time. The new burrow is off show to visitors to ensure maximum peace
and privacy, but there is a closed circuit TV fitted in the main visitor
tunnel to allow you a sneak peek into the progress of baby and mum!
Oq and baby will be able to leave the rearing burrow and move back to
re-join the main group within approximately a month’s time, when
the youngster will be strong enough to sustain any knocks and bumps
from the other full-grown aardvarks. Until then, mum and baby are being
kept a close eye on by the Keepers, who have been sitting in with mum
and baby to ensure that the feeding and health of the new born goes
well within the first few weeks. As new born aardvarks are not particularly
well-sighted and nocturnal as well as being very clumsy, the baby can
be crushed accidently and so Keepers will continue to keep a close eye
on the new arrival and even take the baby home at night to make sure
it is safe and well looked after!
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the dedication of animal rescuers, rehomers, keepers and park
owners it's clear the outcome for some animals, whether they
be domesticated, wild or endangered, would be terrible.
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The new
and improved Aardvark Burrow was reopened in late October 2009,
after outstanding breeding success with our group of aardvarks
the burrow has now been built to accommodate two new burrows,
allowing a private off show area for any expectant mother to
give birth in and have privacy and peace at this time.
This also
means that the rest of the family can stay in the main burrow
and do not have to be moved out to another enclosure as has
been the case in previous years. The main burrow will be able
to remain on show all year round, with the mother and baby able
to return to the main burrow after about a month when the baby
is strong enough to be able to sustain any knocks from the other
aardvarks!
This will
be a big step forward in breeding aardvarks at Colchester Zoo
as there will be less involvement needed from the keepers, whilst
the new burrow will provide a more naturalistic environment
for the breeding females. Whilst we regret that this new burrow
will be off show to visitors to ensure maximum peace and privacy,
there will be a web cam fitted in the original visitor tunnel
so that the progress of the baby can be viewed from the very
start!
The Aardvark is a unique animal which is only found in Africa.
They can grow to body lengths of 150cm and can be 60cm tall
at the shoulders and have a muscular body and the back is humped
with short, powerful hind limbs. The claws are long and spoon
shaped with sharp edges, which are ideally adapted for burrowing
into the ground or termite mounds at great speed. More
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