Rare elephant shrews are born in the UK for the first time

"To have the first-ever black and rufous sengi birth in the UK right here at Hertfordshire Zoo is an incredible feeling. We knew when we welcomed the pair last October that we were part of something special, but to see them successfully breed so quickly is a testament to the world-class care provided by our team."

"The insect-eating creature is neither an elephant nor a shrew, although it's more closely related to the former. They are also distant relation to aardvarks and manatees, as well as elephants, despite being the size of a mouse."

"In recent years, the Hertfordshire Zoo's black and rufous sengis have attracted millions of views online. Their twitching noses - sometimes described as a 'mini trunk' - and extremely fast movements have helped make them a viral sensation."

Hertfordshire Zoo welcomed the first-ever black and rufous sengi births in the UK on February 23. The newborns, weighing approximately 30g each, were so tiny that zookeepers initially missed their arrival and only discovered them by reviewing overnight CCTV footage. Born to resident pair Nuru and Mala, the babies emerged from their nest weeks later. Black and rufous sengis are small African insectivores unrelated to shrews despite their name, and are distantly related to elephants, aardvarks, and manatees. The species has gained viral popularity due to their distinctive twitching noses and rapid movements. Zoo officials consider this successful breeding significant, as only a handful of these sengis currently live in the UK.

Read at Mail Online