Fife Zoo welcomes birth of twin baby armadillos for first time as part of breeding programme

A Scottish zoo has welcomed the birth of two rare baby armadillos for the first time.

Keepers at Fife Zoo are celebrating after the twin boy and girl were born to parents Havana and Dougie, two years after their arrival at the facility as part of a programme to safeguard the species.

The twins, which are as yet unnamed, are currently around the size of a golf ball and have only recently emerged from their underground lair’s for the first time.

The zoo’s director, Mike Knight, said: “The arrival of the baby armadillos was a huge surprise for everybody at the zoo and we’re delighted to be able to play a role in the European captive breeding programme for the species.

“We’ve been aware of the baby armadillos for a number of weeks now, but they are born completely blind and have a high fatality rate in their early weeks if they are disturbed.’

‘’The twins are now the size of a tennis ball and have recently become confident enough to leave their burrow and can sometimes be seen exploring their new surroundings throughout the day.

“Their appearances are still unpredictable, so we have set up a webcam so that visitors have the best possible chance to see the new arrivals.

“Their mum, Havana, is still very much in charge and will occasionally carry the babies around the enclosure in her mouth.’’

The six-banded variety of the animals are usually found in South America and are sometimes persecuted for the damage caused to crop fields due to their burrowing habits.

They are rated as animals of “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.