A new ambassador animal has joined the Potawatomi Zoo.

Teddy, the short-beaked echidna, was brought to the Zoo from another Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facility.

The species is native to Australia and New Guinea and are covered with fur and spines on their backs.

As an ambassador animal, Teddy is not in a publicly-visible exhibit.

Instead, he may be used as part of an educational class or program or could be used as part of a breeding program due to the rarity of echidnas in zoos.