First-Ever Aardvark Born at English Zoo Named After 'Harry Potter' Character Dobby the House-Elf

England's Chester Zoo is "overjoyed" after welcoming a baby aardvark for the first time in its 90-year history.

The aardvark calf — born overnight on Jan. 4 — received the nickname Dobby for its similarities to the iconic Harry Potter house-elf character. Both Harry Potter's Dobby and the new zoo addition have oversized ears and hairless, wrinkled skin.

"As soon as we spotted the new baby next to mum we noticed its uncanny resemblance to the Harry Potter character, Dobby, and so that's the calf's nickname for the time being," the zoo's team manager, Dave White, said in a statement.

Dobby's mom and zookeepers are caring for the five-week-old aardvark — whose sex has yet to be determined. Keepers are responsible for feeding the baby animal every few hours during the evening, according to a press release from the zoo.

"Aardvark parents are notorious for being a little clumsy around their newborns," White explained. "With the baby being so tiny and fragile, we're therefore protecting it from any accidental knocks and bumps by helping mum out with supplementary feeding sessions throughout the night, just until the calf is a little stronger."

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He added that the calf likes to spend time "bonding and snuggled up" to its mom, Oni.

Dobby is one of only 66 aardvarks found in zoos across Europe, while there are 109 aardvarks living in accredited zoos globally.

"Caring for species like aardvarks in zoos enables us to learn more about them — how they live, their behaviors and their biology," Mark Brayshaw, the curator of mammals at the zoo, said in a statement.

He added, "All of this information is then shared with other leading conservation zoos and helps to better inform our efforts to preserve their numbers."

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, aardvarks can be hunted for meat and are threatened by habitat loss because of new agricultural development, according to the zoo.