Meet Bugsy: Oregon Zoo welcomes baby armadillo

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – The Oregon Zoo has announced a new addition that was born last month: a baby armadillo!

Three-banded armadillo pair Max and Toby welcomed the new pup on June 10. The zoo says Bugsy – named for a favorite armadillo snack food, bugs – is the pair’s second pup.

Care staff only recently got a close look at him during his one-month health check.

“Max is a great mom so we haven’t needed to step in at all,” said Eliza Lee, who oversees the zoo’s armadillo family. “She keeps him nice and cozy in their nest.”

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Among the smallest of the 20 species of armadillo, adult three-banded armadillos weight about three pounds. The zoo says Bugsy weighs just 14 ounces, but he’s growing fast.

“He’s getting bigger every day,” Lee said. “He still stays close to his mom most of the time, but pretty soon he’ll start venturing out a bit and exploring his habitat.”

Max, Toby and Bugsy are currently in a private den behind the scenes. The zoo says care staff have been taking a hands-off approach to help them bond naturally.

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