Aardvarks! Really!

"Aardvark"
Enchanted Learning


(from Enchanted Learning, used w/o permission)

"Aardvark means "Earth pig" in Afrikaans, a language of South Africa. The aardvark is a solitary, shy, nocturnal animal. Aardvarks live in African savannas, open grasslands, woodlands, and scrub. They range from southern Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope in the far south of Africa. Aardvarks live about 10 years in captivity; their life span in the wild is unknown...."

Be honest, now: If all you knew about aardvarks was that picture, and a verbal description, would you believe that aardvarks really existed?

Photographs lend a sense of verisimilitude to what might otherwise be an unconvincing narrative.


(from Brookfield Zoo, used w/o permission)

"...Aardvarks look like they are a mish-mash of a bunch of other animals. They have a pig-like body, a long tubular snout similar to that of an anteater, and ears that can only be described as donkey-like. They have been called 'earth pigs' and 'antbears' because of their confusing appearance. Taken all together, this combo platter of traits makes for a very unusual animal. "Unique" is an overused word, but not in the case of the aardvark...."

And, as far as I can determine, aardvarks really are native to Earth: their appearance notwithstanding.

Although I can understand Brookfield Zoo's decision to use the phrase "mish-mash" to describe the aardvark, I myself feel obliged to offer my immediate and unequivocal impression, on casting my eye upon that photo.

The aardvark is, quite definitely, a - thing.