Elephant shrews born in UK for the very first time
Elephant shrews also known as sengis eat fruit, nuts and ants
- Published
Two tiny animals, known as elephant shrews, have been born in the UK for the very first time.
They were born at Hertfordshire Zoo, north of central London.
Officially called black and rufous sengi, when the creatures were born, they weighed only 30 grams. That's about the same weight as a small bag of crisps - so they were incredibly small.
At first, the zoo keepers didn't even notice them. The babies were so tiny and well hidden that the team only realised they had been born when they checked the overnight CCTV cameras the next day.
More wildlife stories:
Raccoons solve puzzles just for fun, new research says
- Published3 days ago
Bumblebees can live underwater for a week, scientists say
- Published3 days ago
What is a sengi?
Sengis were once commonly called elephant shrews. They got this name because of their long, flexible noses, which look a little bit like a tiny elephant's trunk.
But scientists later discovered something surprising. Even though sengis also look a bit like shrews (small mouse-like animals), they are not closely related to shrews at all.
Instead, they belong to a special group of mammals that are more closely related to animals such as the African elephant, the manatee (sometimes called a sea cow), and the aardvark.
Because of this discovery, scientists officially started using the name "sengi" in 1998, instead.
Parents Nuru and Mala only arrived in the UK a few months ago
Fast forest runners
Black and rufous sengis live in the wild on the forest floors of East Africa, especially in Kenya and Tanzania.
Adult sengis weigh about 700 grams (1.54 pounds) - about the weight of two tins of baked beans. Even though they are small, they are very quick and able to run up to 15 miles per hour (25 kmh) to escape predators.
Black and rufous sengis live in the wild on the forest floors of East Africa, especially in Kenya and Tanzania
Why the baby sengis are important
Only a small number of black and rufous sengis live in the UK. Hertfordshire Zoo called the two babies a "significant victory".
Tyler Whitnall, managing director of the zoo, said: "To have the first-ever black and rufous sengi birth in the UK is an incredible feeling.
To see them successfully breed so quickly is a testament to the world-class care provided by our team."
He added: "These pups are growing incredibly fast and are already showing the same high-energy, inquisitive traits as their parents."
For now, the tiny sengis are being watched closely by the zoo's vets and are spending most of their time resting in their nesting area.
