Aardwolves don’t get the attention that they deserve!

These nocturnal animals look like short hyenas with huge mohawks and they boast some the cutest puppy faces in the animal kingdom. They’re curious and playful around the few humans whom they come across, and keep the same partner for as long as they live.

Meeting an Aardwolf in its natural habitat is risk-free since this monogamous animal is insectivorous as well, and it has an insatiable craving for termites. So, you should be fine unless you are carrying a colony of ants in your pockets.

If your local zoo does not have any plans to host a family of aardwolves among its exhibits, you will need to travel to South Africa. The open plains in the eastern part of the country are the homelands of these termite-eating mammals, and you won’t find them living in the wild anywhere else on Earth.

 

1. This little thing is a baby South African dog called an Aardwolf

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2. And here is an adult. They are just as adorable as the babies:

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3. Their closest relatives are the hyenas. However, the aardwolf has a distinct aspect with their long mohawks.

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4. Their food source consists mainly of termites. Yep this dog likes to eat ants

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5. They were thought to be solitary beings, but upon more observation, they proved to actually be family oriented

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6. The aardwolves are nocturnal beings, and they live in borrows underground in the southern and eastern regions of Africa

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