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It has been years, but San Diego Zoo finally welcomes new aardvark birth

Aardvark Pup
Posted at 6:27 PM, Jun 16, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-16 18:28:05-04

An aardvark cub born at the San Diego Zoo is said to be doing well and developing quickly.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says the female cub was born May 10 and will nurse from mother Zola for about six months. It's the zoo's first aardvark birth in nearly four decades.

In this photo released by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, an aardvark cub explores her habitat at the San Diego Zoo on June 10, 2022. For the first time in more than 35 years, an aardvark pup has been born at the zoo. The female, which has not yet been named, was born May 10. Zookeepers say she is doing well and that her mother, Zola, is caring and attentive. (Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP)

The long-eared, hairless cub does not have a name yet and will remain out of view of zoo visitors for about two months as she bonds with her mother. Aardvarks are native to sub-Saharan Africa.

They are nocturnal and have long, sticky tongues to slurp up ants and termites.

“She is very active, and was using her sharp claws to dig like an adult aardvark, just hours after her birth,” lead wildlife care specialist Cari Inserra said in the statement.

“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.