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It's not solely pandas drawing people to the world-famous San Diego Zoo — it's an array of new upgrades and rare animals, including being the only zoo outside Australia showcasing platypuses.
But there's another rare "prehistoric" critter that could be the next Axolotl-level obsession on the cuteness scale: echidnas, sometimes referred to as "spiny anteaters."
What visitors may not be aware of is there are actually two San Diego zoos; the other being in nearby Escondido, dubbed the 'Safari Park', which is home to the echidnas.
The newborn "puggles" are a rarity because echidnas typically lay just one egg per breeding season, making twin arrivals an extraordinary milestone for these unusual creatures that are practically the Tinder rejects of the animal kingdom.
The Wait Begins: Why The Echidna Babies Aren't On Display Yet
Unfortunately, don't expect to see these tiny 'prehistoric' cuties during your next Safari Park stroll just yet. One of the puggles is still being raised naturally in the underground nursery burrow by mom, while the other needed a little extra help after not gaining enough weight and was brought to the Safari Park's state-of-the-art Harter Veterinary Medical Center for some around-the-clock TLC.
The good news?
The little fighter is growing stronger each day thanks to the dedicated wildlife team, whose work has even led to new discoveries about how to better care for echidnas moving forward.
Related: San Diego Zoo on Alert After Unexpected Animal Discovery at Popular Restaurant
Unlike most mammals, echidnas are monotremes — a rare group of egg-laying mammals that also includes the equally unusual platypus.
Per USA Today, echidnas are considered 'one of the world's oldest surviving species' with a lineage dating back to 'prehistoric' times.
Despite being around for hundreds of millions of years, these unusual creatures are just the tip of the iceberg at the Safari Park, where visitors can experience everything from an up-close Cheetah Run to safari-style excursions surrounded by giraffes and overnight Roar & Snore sleepovers that can be even more affordable than many San Diego hotels at $205 per night.
