UPDATE! Beau the Orphaned Echidna Now Has Spikes

You’ve been watching Beau the orphaned puggle (baby Echidna)
grow up on the pages of ZooBorns ever since it was found on a hiking trail near
Sydney, Australia and brought to the Taronga Zoo.

Upon arriving at the zoo in October, Beau was about a
month old and nearly hairless. About
a month later,
you could see fine hairs beginning to sprout. Now, Beau is growing the coat of
protective spikes typical of adult Echidnas.

Photo Credits: Taronga Zoo

“I’m thrilled with Beau’s speedy
development! With fur and larger spines,
Beau certainly looks like an Echidna now!” said veterinary nurse Annabelle Sehlmeier,
who also acts as Beau’s surrogate mother.

More agile and co-ordinated, Beau is also starting to explore the
surroundings and exhibit Echidna behaviours.

“Beau’s become adventurous and now climbs out of the travelling box.
When disturbed, the young Echidna will flinch, curl up, or dig into the
dirt, which is exactly what Echidnas do,” Annabelle explained.

The puggle, which weighs about three pounds (1.3 kg), lives in a large
plastic tub with dirt for burrowing, although it still finds comfort in its
nesting box that contains shredded paper and a tea towel.