Tributes after zoo's 19-year-old armadillo dies

A zoo has paid tribute to the "colourful life" of one of its original inhabitants - Dillon the armadillo who has died at the age of 19.

Dillon, a star of children's television and a Blue Peter Badge holder, was one of the original exhibits at Exotic Zoo in Telford Town Park, but died on Sunday, leaving a sister Doris.

The pair had been on arthritis medication for some time, the zoo said in a social media post, but had "surpassed their life expectancy, even for a zoo armadillo".

Dillon had "walked through the doors on day one", added the zoo, which opened in Priorslee in 2017 before moving to its current site five years ago.

"Over the past, week Dillon has been coming out less and less," the zoo's post said.

"After a visit from the vets a few days ago one last course of meds was prescribed to see if it would help.

"But after coming out for one last breakfast this morning she curled back up in her bed and fell asleep for the last time."

Exotic Zoo added that she had been a "true rainforest and wildlife ambassador", who "always caught people's attention and their hearts", and had even been awarded a Blue Peter badge.

Dillon and Doris also starred in a short narrated film for the Let's Go Club on CBeebies, and their 19th birthday was marked by Newsround earlier this year.

The six-banded armadillo is native to South America, and is omnivorous, living off plants and insects in the wild.

Estimates of their life expectancy vary, but in the wild they tend not to live longer than 15 years, rising to 18 to 20 years in captivity with proper veterinary care.

The zoo said Dillon had "made so many people smile and want to learn more about armadillos and their natural habitat."

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