The aardvark's striking similarity to the fictional character fetched the animal its name.
A small body with pink, wrinkled skin, oversized drooping ears and beady, innocent eyes. Fans of the Harry Potter series will know that this description only fits one character, the much-loved house-elf Dobby. It seems that the same thought also occurred to the team at United Kingdom's Chester Zoo when they laid eyes on the first baby aardvark to be born in the zoo in 90 years.
The aardvark was born on January 4, 2022, and its striking similarity to the fictional character fetched the animal its name.
At the time of birth, Dobby's sex was not determined. It was only on Friday that Chester Zoo announced on Twitter that Dobby is a girl.
Sharing a picture of the baby aardvark, the tweet said, “IT'S A GIRL. We're over the moon to reveal that our new aardvark calf Dobby is a baby girl.”
Speaking about the new addition to the zoo, Dave White, a team manager at the Chester Zoo, had said in a statement, “This is the very first aardvark to be born at the zoo and so it's a momentous landmark for us and a real cause for celebration. We're overjoyed. As soon as we spotted the new baby next to mum we noticed its uncanny resemblance to the Harry Potter character, Dobby, and so that's the calf's nickname for the time being!”
Dobby is currently being hand-reared by the zookeepers every day. She is being fed every few hours through the night for around five weeks, the statement said.
Explaining the reason behind the decision to hand-rear Dobby, the statement said, “Aardvark parents are notorious for being a little clumsy around their newborns. With the baby being so tiny and fragile, we're therefore protecting it from any accidental knocks and bumps…” adding that a special incubator will also be used for Dobby's safety.
In the wild, aardvarks are found in sub-Saharan Africa. However, as per Chester Zoo's statement, they are threatened by habitat loss triggered by agricultural development and are also hunted for their meat in the world. As of now, there are only 109 aardvarks in zoos across the world.