By Tim Binnall
A team of conservationists in Bolivia managed to document an incredibly rare species of armadillo that is considered one of the most elusive creatures in the world. The remarkable encounter reportedly occurred earlier this month when a farmer stumbled upon a puzzling pink animal the likes of which he had never seen before in his life. A subsequent online investigation by the farmer's wife led her to suspect that the creature was a Chacoan fairy armadillo, which caused quite the stir among experts in the area as the enigmatic animal has only been seen in the wild a handful of times.
In a testament to just how significant the find was, upon hearing that a living Chacoan fairy armadillo had been located, Bolivian biologist Huascar Bustillos Cayoja managed to quickly assemble a small team of excited experts who jumped at the chance to journey out to where the creature had been captured in order to examine it the following day. Much to their delight, they were able to confirm that the small pink animal was, indeed, the elusive armadillo species. "It is one of the rarest species in the world," Cayoja marveled, "seeing it, holding it, it is a very gratifying experience."
His profound sense of wonder was echoed by conservationist Nick Mcphee, who accompanied him on the expedition and mused that being able to observe the creature "was a magical moment. I would put seeing it in my top three best wildlife experiences ever." He went on to note that, as one of the least seen animals in the world, the Chacoan fairy armadillo is "on everyone’s bucket list to observe" in the community of mammal enthusiasts, many of whom considering the creature something of a 'holy grail.' As such, Mcphee said that "it was a dream come true to see this animal."
The rarity of the creature itself is matched by its rather unique characteristics as it is known to burrow underground in a manner akin to swimming, sports sizeable claws in order to perform such a feat, and, unlike other animals of its kind, boasts a soft shell that allows it to have greater mobility in a subterranean setting. Another odd attribute of the Chacoan fairy armadillo is that it emits a noise akin to the cries of a baby. This has proven to be rather deleterious to the creature as the sound has spawned superstitions among native people in the region that it is a warning of impending death and, as such, rare encounters with the animals often end with them being killed by frightened witnesses hoping to prevent such bad luck.