Nashville Zoo announced the birth of its first-ever aardvark calf, born at 6:06 a.m. on New Year’s Day, marking one of the earliest animal births within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums community for 2026.
The newborn measures approximately 19 inches in length—about the size of a rolling pin—and weighs close to four pounds. With only 33 aardvarks currently living in AZA-accredited zoos, the calf is the 34th in human care and the first to be born since 2024, highlighting the significance of the birth for the managed population.
The calf is the first offspring for mother Karanga, who came to Nashville Zoo in 2021 from Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and father Winsol, who arrived in 2019 from the Cincinnati Zoo. Zoo officials report that both mother and calf are healthy and being carefully monitored by the animal care team in an off-exhibit area to ensure a smooth transition during the early weeks of development.
While long-term plans have not yet been finalized, the calf is expected to eventually relocate to another AZA-accredited zoo as part of coordinated breeding efforts to support the species’ sustainability.
Because aardvarks are nocturnal and burrowing animals, they are difficult to study in the wild. At Nashville Zoo, however, extensive keeper interaction allowed staff to closely monitor breeding and pregnancy through hands-on care, periodic ultrasounds, and continuous observation leading up to the birth. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, aardvarks rely on habitats rich in ants and termites and face increasing pressure from habitat loss despite being listed as a species of least concern.
Nashville Zoo supports conservation initiatives in the species’ native range and participates in the AZA’s Species Survival Plan to help maintain a genetically diverse population under human care.
