UK zoo welcomes baby calf called Womble - do YOU know what the rare newborn is?

Published: 01:24, 20 May 2026 | Updated: 01:24, 20 May 2026 Zookeepers at Chester Zoo have helped raise a rare newborn baby aadvark nicknamed Womble.  The calf is only the second aardvark ever born at the zoo in its 94-year history.  Zoo workers have been bottle-feeding it warm milk after its mother struggled to produce enough milk.   As aardvarks are nocturnal animals, staff carried out feeds overnight while Womble, officially named Oni, left to forage for food. The calf's nickname was inspired by the fictional Wombles from the children's books and television series, with keepers saying its wrinkled hairless skin, long snout and oversized claws bore a resemblance to the characters. Sophie Tyson, one of the zoo's keepers, said: 'Oni's new arrival is only the second aardvark to be born at the zoo in our 94-year history, so it's a really special addition for us all. 'While we don't yet know whether the calf is male or female, as it's a little too young for us to tell, the nickname 'Womble' has definitely stuck. With the calf's giant ears, long snout and playful personality, we think it's the perfect fit for the time being. 'Aardvarks spend their days sleeping and are most active at night, so while mum Oni heads off to forage for food, we've been giving the calf some extra support to help it grow stronger.' Zookeepers at Chester Zoo have helped raise a rare newborn baby aadvark nicknamed Womble The calf is only the second aardvark ever born at the zoo in its 94-year history As aardvarks are nocturnal animals, staff carried out feeds overnight while Womble, officially named Oni, left to forage for food No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.