White-bellied pangolin born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago

A pangolin pup born a Brookfield Zoo Chicago last month is thriving with her mom, the zoo announced Tuesday.

The pup, the second to arrive this year at the zoo, which also is marking 10 years of having the small, nocturnal mammals at the west suburban attraction.

Born June 8 to mother Virginia, the pup already has hit some important milestones in her development, such as nursing and exploring the nest box on her own.

The so-far-unnamed pup also is taking part in one pangolin privilege — riding on mom’s tail.

White-bellied pangolins are native to central and west Africa. But there are seven other pangolin species spread across Africa and Asia. All are under threat of extinction for reasons including trafficking and loss of habitat. According to Brookfield, millions have been poached just in the past 10 years.

Pangolins are the only mammal with scales. They use the for protection by curling into a ball when threatened.

“Every pangolin birth is a special moment, but welcoming two pangopups in a single year is an extraordinary milestone and testament to a decade of dedication by our animal care team,” said Racquel Ardisana, associate director of carnivore and small mammal care and conservation at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. “Pangolins are fascinating animals that face some of the greatest threats of any mammal on Earth. Every opportunity we have to learn from them and share their story helps strengthen our conservation efforts, raise awareness about the challenges they face and inspire our community to help protect this remarkable species.”

The first born this year was delivered by Rosy and is now weaning and starting to eat solid food, according to the zoo. In all, 11 pangolins have been born at Brookfield since the animals arrived 10 years ago. The zoo’s pangolin habitat is the only one in North America.