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VIDEO! BIOPARC Valencia welcomes rare 'Frankenstein' baby
The park is home to Spain’s only strangely adorable breeding pair in the international conservation programme
Valencia’s BIOPARC has just welcomed its 11th aardvark birth since opening 18 years ago, strengthening its reputation as one of the key centres in Europe for protecting this wonderfully odd looking species.
The park is home to the only breeding pair in Spain that forms part of the international conservation programme for the aardvark, often called an anteater.
The newborn weighs just over 1.6kg and is currently staying close to its mum behind the scenes under careful supervision from the animal care team. For now, visitors will have to wait as staff focus on making sure the tiny arrival feeds well and settles in safely.Often jokingly described as a “Frankenstein” animal, the aardvark looks like it has been assembled from spare parts. It has rabbit-like ears, a pig-shaped body and long snout, a thick tail reminiscent of a kangaroo and powerful claws that would not look out of place on a dinosaur. Yet every feature has a purpose.
Native to sub Saharan Africa, the aardvark is a nocturnal insect eater that uses a sticky tongue up to 30cm long to hoover up ants and termites. Its huge claws allow it to smash into termite mounds and dig vast underground burrows with extraordinary strength. In the wild, those tunnels are often reused by other animals that can’t dig for themselves.The species is also unique from a scientific point of view. Orycteropus afer is the only surviving member of the ancient order Tubulidentata, which makes each successful birth under human care especially significant.
Images: BIOPARC Valencia
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