Chester Zoo celebrates first aardvark birth

Conservationists were "overjoyed" to discover the new arrival after it was born overnight

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

The calf, born with hairless wrinkled skin and giant claws, is being fed throughout the night by zookeepers so it can gain strength.

It has been named Dobby, from the Harry Potter series, because of its large droopy ears.

Conservationists said they were "overjoyed" to discover the baby born overnight in January.

There are only 66 aardvarks in zoos across Europe and a mere 109 in zoos worldwide, Chester Zoo said.

'Momentous landmark'

Aardvarks are native in sub-Saharan Africa and the name means "earth pig" in the language of Afrikaans.

Dave White, team manager at the zoo, said: "It is a momentous landmark for us and a real cause for celebration. We're overjoyed."

He said it would be several weeks before they would know if the calf was male or female.

Mr White said aardvark parents were notorious for being "a little clumsy" around their newborns so conservationists were looking after the calf in a "special incubator" and feeding it with "warm milk every few hours", while the parents were out feeding in the evening.

"The calf then spends the daytime bonding and snuggled up with mum Oni inside her burrow - and they're both doing great together," he said.

The nocturnal animals use their long noses and keen sense of smell to sniff out ants and termites, which they lap up with a long tongue covered in sticky saliva.

Aardvarks use their powerful claws to tear open termite mounds, as well as to dig underground burrows in which they sleep.

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