England’s Chester Zoo has recently welcomed into the world three rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) pups. The adorable mammals are tiny, round, adorable—and related to elephants, if you can believe it.

“They look completely different, but there are some clues to their unusual family history,” Chester Zoo keeper Megan Carpenter said in a statement. “Their long front teeth, for example, are a little bit like miniature elephant tusks, and their feet have some resemblance to elephant feet, with flattened hoof-like nails.”

Also known as rock rabbits or rock badgers, rock hyraxes live in rocky sub-Saharan and Middle Eastern landscapes. Their color and potato shape helps them camouflage among the rocks, and adults can squeeze into corners and hold onto steep rock faces for hours. But that’s not as unexpected as the fact that they are evolutionarily related to both elephants and sirenians (the group of aquatic mammals that includes dugongs and manatees). 

“It’s incredible to think these little animals are so closely related to elephants and manatees. They’re a brilliant example of how misleading appearances can be when it comes to evolution,” said Lyndon Howson, assistant team manager in visitor engagement at the zoo. “That’s what makes species like hyraxes so interesting – they challenge what we think we know about the natural world and show just how surprising animal evolution can be.”

Russ, Spud, and Jackie were born to Maris and Albert late this summer, and they’ve just undergone their first vet check. The pups are healthy and “little chaos potatoes,” demonstrating more energy than their parents and occasionally giving in to the “zoomies,” according to Carpenter. A social media post showcases the pups having the time of their lives as they rush about and one even executes a head-swinging aerial maneuver. They currently weigh around 12.3 ounces, but adult rock hyraxes can reach up to 8.8 pounds. 

 

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