Sunday, 22 March 2026

UK Zoo Celebrates Birth of First-Ever Elephant Shrews in Britain — Dubbed the "Snootlets," Each Weighed the Same as a Single AA Battery

Weirdness Level7/10

🌀 Very Strange

“Two tiny creatures — the very first elephant shrew pups ever born in Britain — have arrived at Hertfordshire Zoo, and each one weighs roughly the same as a single AA battery. The babies, nicknamed the Snootlets, were born so quietly that keepers only found out by reviewing the overnight CCTV footage the next morning. Oh, and despite the name, elephant shrews are actually more closely related to elephants than to shrews — a fact that somehow makes them even more confusing.”

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Why It's Weird

The most bewildering news often comes from situations where multiple unlikely events align perfectly. While the weirdness score is more modest, the story still offers a fascinating glimpse into life's unexpected moments.

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.

A post shared by Hertfordshire Zoo (@hertfordshirezoo)

"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.

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