Baby aardvark Womble delights keepers at Chester Zoo

A rare baby aardvark is thriving at Chester Zoo,where keepers are helping the newborn settle into life after its arrival earlier this spring.

Nicknamed Womble after the popular British children’s television series The Wombles,the calf was born on April 3 to mother Oni. It is only the second aardvark ever born in the zoo’s 94-year history.

Small mammals keeper Sophie Tyson says discovering the newborn was an unforgettable moment.

“I was very excited,” she said. “I was lucky enough to be the one that found Womble on the day they were born,and I definitely squealed a little bit and did a little jump up and down.”

Although Womble was born healthy,keepers stepped in to provide supplementary milk feeds when Oni was unable to produce enough milk.

Native to sub-Saharan Africa,aardvarks face growing threats in the wild,including habitat loss and hunting. Conservationists hope births like Womble’s will help raise awareness about the species and support long-term breeding efforts.