Chester Zoo has announced the birth of a rare aardvark calf, nicknamed Womble, which is only the second of its species born at the zoo in 94 years. The calf, whose sex is not yet known, was born to mother Oni and has been receiving round-the-clock bottle-feeding from keepers after the 13-year-old mother was unable to produce enough milk.
Keeper Sophie Tyson, who cared for Womble through the night, described the experience as exciting but tiring, with feeds required every two hours. 'It was a big learning curve, but a great opportunity to learn about them,' she said. The calf, which weighed 1.4kg at birth, has since thrived and now weighs around 7kg.
Aardvark births are extremely rare in captivity, with only 68 individuals in European zoos and 114 worldwide. Womble is believed to be the only calf born in the UK since 2024. The species, native to sub-Saharan Africa, faces threats in the wild from habitat loss and hunting.
Womble now lives full-time with mother Oni, and Tyson noted the calf is becoming increasingly curious and active, 'following its mother, bumbling around and exploring the outside world.'
