TAMPA, Fla. — She's perhaps the cutest thing you'll see all day, and Busch Gardens just announced her arrival to its theme park.
Meet, Sydney, a puggle (yes, a puggle!), which is a baby echidna. An echidna is an Australian relative of the platypus and is a highly specialized egg-laying mammal, according to a press release.
Busch Gardens says its one of the "rarest zoo babies around" and you can go visit Sydney now! Just head to the echidna habitat at Animal Connections during your next visit to view her and her mom.
"Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is one of the few places in the United States where guests can see echidnas," the theme park said.
Echidnas are unique because of how they reproduce, according to Busch Gardens. A mother will lay a leathery, grape-sized egg and roll it into her pouch. After 10 days, a puggle the size of a jelly bean will hatch.
Spines will then start poking through the puggle's back at about 53 weeks. The spines serve as a camouflage mechanism in the wild.
Busch Gardens credits "the dedication and care of zookeepers," in bringing species like the echidna to its park.
If you'd like to visit Sydney and the other attractions Busch Gardens has to offer, be aware of a number of safety precautions the park has in place.
Busch Gardens closed for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic and reopened back in June.
Guests ages two and older will be required to wear a face-covering and social distancing will be promoted throughout the park.
To learn more about Busch Garden's safety guidelines, click here.