A trio of tiny rock hyrax pups recently made their debut at Chester Zoo.
To the untrained eye, the small, furry animals may look like large guinea pigs, but they are, in fact, closely related to one of the world’s largest mammals: the elephant.
Born over the summer to parents Albert and Maris, the three new arrivals have now got through their initial veterinary check, so are getting out and about in their habitat and practising their newfound climbing and parkour skills. The zoo has determined the sex of the three siblings, identifying them as two males and one female. With this knowledge, keepers have named them ‘Spud’, ‘Russ’ and ‘Jackie’.
Sometimes referred to as ‘rock badgers’ or ‘rock rabbits’, hyraxes share an evolutionary group with elephants and sirenians, the order of sea-based mammals that includes manatees and dugongs.
Once fully grown, hyraxes can weigh as much as 4 kilograms, but the youngsters are currently a fraction of the size of adults, weighing roughly 350 grams each.
Discussing the connection between hyraxes and elephants, zookeeper Megan Carpenter explained some of the similarities. She noted that their feet have flattened nails resembling hooves (not unlike those of elephants), and that their long teeth look like diminutive tusks.
Although zoo visitors may find the rock hyraxes difficult to spot because their fur provides camouflage, once found, they are entertaining to watch. Carpenter added that they have a lot more energy than their adult parents and can get a case of the ‘zoomies’.
Chester Zoo is open seven days a week and offers discounted admission to members.