Meet Barkie, an aardvark baby brought to the N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary in late February 2014. Barkie found protection and love in the doting hands of the N/a’an ku sê team.
![baby-aardvark](http://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/baby-aardvark.jpg)
The tiny aardvark, estimated to be no older than three months, arrived on our bushveldt doorstep after a farmer had shot his mother. Tragically this is a common occurrence in Namibia, where farmers and landowners heavily depend on their livestock to eke a living out of this desert land. The natural burrowing and digging behaviour of aardvarks, inadvertently causes holes in fences that allow the livestock to escape, making them vulnerable to free-roaming carnivores.
Sadly, aardvarks have gained an increasingly negative reputation – a reputation wholly misunderstood. Barkie’s mother herself suffered this fate, with her helpless baby thankfully being taken pity on and laid in the protecting hands of N/a’an ku sê.
![baby-rescued-aardvark](http://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/baby-rescued-aardvark.jpg)
![Subscribe to our newsletter and/or app Subscribe to our newsletter and/or app](https://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/App-Newsletter-Banner-6-small.jpg)
![baby](http://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/aardvark-baby.jpg)
Barkie became an overnight sensation, his small pink body devoid of hair, clothed lovingly in pyjamas for the icy winter nights. Feeding pre-dominantly on termites and ground-dwelling insects, Barkie is joined by a group of volunteers on his daily bush walks. This gives him a chance to embrace his natural aardvark instincts fully. At N/a’an ku sê, we carefully consider the natural needs of every orphan, tending away from the feeling of “captivity”. Instead, we create an environment where their instinctive behaviours are nurtured and encouraged.
![rescued-baby](http://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/rescued-baby-aardvark.jpg)
![aardvark](http://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/aardvark.jpg)
![tiny-aardvark](http://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/tiny-aardvark.jpg)
And Barkie has given us insight into the aardvark world – a world we have barely scratched the surface of. The behaviour of these elusive creatures has remained largely undiscovered – but with Barkie’s help, we hope to erase the misunderstood reputation of these magnificent mammals.
More about aardvarks here: 9 Amazing facts about aardvarks
![rescued](http://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/rescued-aardvark.jpg)
![rescue-aardvark](http://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/rescue-aardvark.jpg)
To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.