Armadillo Named “Rollie” Goes Viral After Adorable Playtime With Favorite Toy.

If you know nothing else about armadillos, know this: They’re adorable.

The soft, fuzzy animals with the big, round eyes always seem to get all the publicity, but this time it is a baby armadillo that has captured hearts around the world. The adorable video below was taken by an intern at the New Zoo and Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and seriously, you couldn’t ask for a better ambassador for the three-banded armadillo.

rollie armadillo ball
YouTube

Here we have Rollie, a three-banded armadillo native to South America, who achieved celebrity status back in the summer of 2014. The unique design of his outer armor makes this one of the only species of armadillo that’s capable of rolling itself into a ball. A characteristic which mostly comes in handy as a defensive measure. But it also allows him to curl around his toys, like so:


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Look how cute he is! He looks just like a rollie pollie, which (and please don’t quote us on this) we’re thinking is probably how he got his name.

Just looking at him, you’d think he’d have a creaky, lumbering gait. But he’s surprisingly light on his feet. It actually looks like he’s walking around on his tip toes:


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Rollie’s not just another pretty face whose job it is to just sit there and look cute all day. He gets plenty of attention from zoo staff and interns, who frequently take him out to his play pen to stretch his legs and exercise. Several months ago, staff snapped this shot of one of the interns playing with him in his pen, where a variety of toys helps keep things exciting.

“He has a nearly-endless supply of energy, which means he’s always ready to play! Good thing Nicole has plenty of toys to keep him busy.”

rollie and intern
Facebook

Watch how much fun this little guy has on his “play date”with his plastic pig, and share to spread more smiles!

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