Elephant Shrews Charm Visitors With Funny Expressions

Two Sengis (Macroscelides proboscideus), also known as round-eared elephant shrews, have charmed visitors at Chester Zoo during their debut with adorable expressions as they yawn and stick their tongues out.

The small mammals, that eat roots, shoots and insects and have a gestation period lasting fifty-six days, were born at the zoo, out of sight, during the summer in a special breeding the facility. It is the first time sengis have been bred at the zoo. Although they look like their shrew cousins, they are not directly related to them. In fact, their direct genetic relatives are aardvarks, elephants, manatees and hyraxes.