March 16 (UPI) — The Hertfordshire Zoo in England announced the births of two elephant shrew pups — the very first of their species to be born in Britain.
The zoo said the elephant shrews, also known as black and rufous sengis, were born to first-time parents Nuru and Mala on Feb. 23, and were discovered via CCTV cameras in the animals’ enclosure.
The long-nosed babies, the first elephant shrews ever born in Britain, have been nicknamed “the Snootlets.”
The zoo said each baby weighed approximately 1 ounce at the time of birth — roughly equivalent to a single AA battery.
“The Snootlets are thriving with mum, dad, and our dedicated veterinary team and over the coming weeks they will grow more active and confident, and we cannot wait for them to start exploring their habitat,” the zoo said.