Ahh-madillos: Four orphaned babies nursed after mother is killed by poachers



He is so tiny that a plant pot makes a roomy enclosure. This four-day-old armadillo is one of four being cared for by an environmentalist after their mother was killed by poachers.

Due to shortage of space in the local zoo, activist Kamilo Lara is caring for the animals at his home in Managua, Nicaragua.



Brothers in armour: This four-day-old armadillo is one of four orphaned siblings rescued by environmentalist Kamilo Lara

When they are old enough - in about two months' time - Mr Lara will release them back into the wild.

The tiny creatures, who are being bottle-fed, are Common Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), an endangered species, and were found and rescued by Mr Lara of environmental organisation Alerta Mundial (World Alert).



Mr Lara eventually wants to create a rescue centre that will focus on restoring the natural habitat of the armadillos and other at-risk creatures.

Helping hand: Mr Lara bottle-feeds one of the armadillos in his home in Managua, although one of the creature's siblings looks as though he would prefer to feed himself, below







Right now, the babies look fragile and tiny but once they grow, the hard, leathery plates for which they are famous will start to cover their stout bodies, head, legs and tail.

The bony plates earned the armadillo its name - the word is Spanish meaning 'little armoured one'.

