Armadillo at Milnthorpe zoo finds New Year romance

What better way to warm up a cold January than with a little romance?
Tank on the right and Nessa on the left.Tank on the right and Nessa on the left.
Tank on the right and Nessa on the left.

For the last three months, Milnthorpe Wildlife Oasis’s new arrival, Tank, has been the zoo’s most eligible bachelor.

Arriving from Leeds, the seven-year-old hairy armadillo has been settling in and charming keepers and visitors alike.

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However, as the only armadillo in all of Cumbria, zoo staff were keen to find him a companion of his own.

So, three months to the day, one-year-old Nessa arrived from York on January 2.

With Valentine’s Day not far off, the zoo are hoping to welcome the patter of tiny paws later in the year as armadillos usually give birth to twins.

Female armadillos mature at nine months, so Oasis manager Jack Williams has high hopes for the zoo’s newest couple.

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He said: “Tank is delighted to have a new companion, and Nessa is such a character and just as active and cheeky as he is.

“We’ve gradually introduced them this week, and they’re getting on really well, playing affectionately together.

“With them both coming from Yorkshire, they clearly speak the same language!”

Fans are already following Tank and Nessa’s blossoming romance via the zoo’s Facebook page, and can be visited close up, alongside the Emperor Tamarins and Marmosets in the Monkey House, from 10am daily.