Precious creatures: The Zoological & Botanical Gardens has launched a global mate hunt for its short-beaked echidna. Over the years, the park has successfully bred many endangered species, such as the Bornean orangutan and white-naped crane.

The spiny anteater known as the short-beaked echidna is extremely solitary and shy. When disturbed, they dig into the earth or roll up in a ball.

But the HK Zoological & Botanical Gardens is trying to find a mate for one to produce offspring.

A very rare egg-laying mammal from Australia and New Guinea, echidnas date back some 650,000 years. Only 100 of the species now exist in 37 zoos worldwide.