Zoo's aardvark contributes to national animal milk research

CINCINNATI (AP) — An aardvark in Cincinnati is sharing his mother's milk — with scientists in Washington.

Ali the aardvark is mother to Winsol, who in late December became the zoo's first healthy aardvark newborn since 1994. Cincinnati Zoo staffers draw milk samples from the 13-year-old mom every Friday, then send them to the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington and the Smithsonian's Exotic Animal Milk Repository.

The milk contributes data for creating milk alternatives for animal babies. The regular collection allows researchers to analyze the milk's composition and record changes.