Officials at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium say entries will be accepted through Jan. 10 at the aardvark calf display in Kingdoms of the Night.
UPDATE:
Omaha zoo officials are asking the public to help them name its new female aardvark calf.
Officials at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium say entries will be accepted through Jan. 10 at the aardvark calf display in Kingdoms of the Night.
Staff taking care of the aardvark, a nocturnal mammal native to Africa, will select the winning name. The person with the winning entry will win a hands-on educational experience with the aardvark's father and mother.
Zoo officials recently said the aardvark calf was being hand-raised by staff because her mother has a history of not being able to raise calves.
(filed 12/27/12)
Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has an aardvark calf on display.
The female aardvark calf was born on October 8, 2012. She currently weighs just over 16 pounds. The calf and her parents will be on display daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Kingdoms of the Night. The sire (father) was born in 1992 and the dam (mother) was born in 2002. The calf is on exhibit separate from the parents as the mother has a history of not being able to raise calves herself. To ensure survival, she is being hand raised by our animal health staff. She is on display next to her parents to become familiar with her parents sounds and smells.
Aardvarks are a heavy built animal with an arched back and a long, muscular tail. Adult aardvarks range in weight from 110-150 pounds. They have a long tongue covered in sticky saliva to help them catch their diet which consists of termites and ants. They have a long, tubular snout which allows them to reach into termite mounds.
Aardvarks are nocturnal and have a strong sense of smell and hearing to help them locate prey and avoid predators at night. They have sensory pads near the nostrils and sensory hairs near their eyes to help find insects in dark crevices.
This birth is significant as there are currently 30 aardvarks at 12 Association of Zoos and Aquarium accredited institutions.
