Chester Zoo welcomes cute baby hyraxes

Four little rock hyraxes have been born at Chester Zoo – and astonishingly, although these adorable animals look like guinea pigs, they in fact are one of the closest living relatives of elephants.

(Chester Zoo)

They may have tiny ears, cute button noses and a coat of brown fur, but rock hyraxes have a remarkable link to the heavy-footed animals, sharing several common characteristics and lifestyle features.

(Chester Zoo)

Tim Rowlands, curator of mammals, said: “They have similar toes, teeth and skull structures and rock hyraxes also have two large continually growing incisors, which correspond to an elephant’s tusks.

“And whereas small mammals normally have a short pregnancy period, for the rock hyrax it lasts for around seven and a half months (245 days) – another sign of their relation to their much larger ancestors.”

(Chester Zoo)

The new arrivals are settling down well and can be seen with their parents at Chester Zoo’s African painted dogs’ trail.