Utah's Hogle Zoo welcomes pouched rat pups
A rare and exciting birth highlights the conservation story of these life-saving animals
Utah’s Hogle Zoo is excited to announce the birth of four southern giant pouched rat babies, called pups, on June 23, 2025, to mom Acacia and dad Baobab. Acacia and her pups are doing well; she attentively nurses and cares for them while dad resides in a nearby habitat in the Small Animal Building.
Animal care in action
The pups have grown quickly, from pink and hairless at birth to being covered with dark fur in less than two weeks. Animal care and veterinary staff continue to monitor milestones like beginning to explore, eating solids, and chewing on browse through twice-daily visual checks. The pups will soon receive their first veterinary exam, where we will identify their genders.
This birth marks a significant milestone for Hogle Zoo’s animal care team. Successfully breeding pouched rats under human care is incredibly rare, and Acacia’s attentive maternal behavior has offered valuable insight into the species’ reproductive needs. Hogle Zoo is thrilled not only to support these pups as they grow, but also to spotlight the remarkable role pouched rats play in conservation efforts around the world.
Remarkable rats
Native to the savannas of East and Southern Africa, pouched rats are known for their intelligence and remarkable sense of smell. Often called “Hero Rats,” they’ve been trained to detect landmines, identify tuberculosis, and sniff out illegal wildlife products like pangolin scales and elephant ivory. Most recently, they’ve begun early training for search and rescue work with hopes of supporting disaster response efforts.
Fun facts about pouched rats
- Weighing just 3 to 4 pounds, pouched rats are light enough to safely search areas where landmines may be present, which typically require around 11 pounds of pressure to trigger. Some search-and-rescue rats even wear tiny vests equipped with live-stream cameras, flashlights, and GPS transmitters to help emergency teams locate victims.
- These hero rats can search a tennis court-sized area in just 30 minutes, a task that may require up to 4 days for a human.
While sightings of Acacia’s pups may be limited for now, they are growing quickly. Guests may catch a glimpse of the new arrivals nursing or beginning to explore outside their nest box in the Small Animal Building.
Animal wellbeing
Protecting animals in the wild starts with the wellbeing of the animals under our care, including providing exceptional maternal and infant care. Visit our Animal Wellbeing page to learn how our dedicated team, including veterinarians, keepers, educators, and specialists, work together to ensure the animals at Hogle Zoo experience positive wellbeing.
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Utah's Hogle Zoo
