Perhaps he was tempted by the smell of food nearby – but whatever the reason, nothing could stop Stanley the armadillo from running away in East Sussex.
The mammal escaped from the Animal Magic petting zoo, based near Hailsham, after forcing open the door of his log cabin enclosure.
Stanley was last spotted on the Cuckoo trail, which runs between Heathfield and Polegate. The public has been asked to report sightings of the six-banded armadillo, who the owner warned could be “quite stinky”.
Chris Coetzer, the co-owner of Animal Magic, which organises school visits and birthday parties, said he was “anxious to get him back”.
He told The Telegraph that Stanley was “quite friendly,” adding: “He’ll come and take food out of your hand. He loves a back scratch. The only thing with armadillos is, they don’t smell particularly good. He’s quite stinky.”
However he warned people not to pick Stanley up if spotted because he may bite. People are instead advised to contact the company with any sightings.
“I’d really like to get him back, because he’s quite a valuable and very much liked character in our collection,” he said. “He’s a very much loved boy for us.”
‘Armadillos can look after themselves’
This is not Stanley’s first escape – the animal had previously escaped at a party, forcing Mr Coetzer to run “quite fast” after him.
Mr Coetzer said Stanley, weighing between 3-4kg and around 40cm long, was likely to have been tempted by food smells from a nearby farm shop or campsite.
While Mr Coetzer said he was not hugely concerned for the animal’s safety, he added that there was the risk of him crossing roads and being hit by a car.
Stanley also faces the risk of potential predators, and Mr Coetzer added: “Armadillos can look after themselves. I don’t particularly think anything like a fox would be trying his luck, but with badgers, you don’t know.”
In their natural habitat, the animals face predators such as coyotes, bobcats, cougars, black bears, alligators, and large birds of prey such as hawks and eagles.
Armadillos are legal to keep in the UK with a Dangerous Wild Animal licence. They eat insects, fruits, eggs, crickets and cockroaches. With an armoured shell and long sharp claws, they can move very quickly despite their short legs.
Armadillos are native to Central and South America, with the vast majority of species living in Latin America.