Editing Aardvark (section)

==Conservation==
Aardvarks were thought to have declining numbers,<ref name=Colliers/> however, this is possibly because they are not readily seen.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> There are no definitive counts because of their nocturnal and secretive habits; however, their numbers seem to be stable overall. They are not considered common anywhere in Africa, but due to their large range, they maintain sufficient numbers. There may be a slight decrease in numbers in eastern, northern, and western Africa. Southern African numbers are not decreasing. It has received an official designation from the IUCN as [[least concern]].<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> However, they are a species in a precarious situation, as they are so dependent on such specific food; therefore if a problem arises with the abundance of termites, the species as a whole would be affected drastically.<ref name=EoM/>

Recent research suggests that aardvarks may be particularly vulnerable to alterations in temperature caused by climate change. [[Drought]]s negatively impact the availability of termites and ants, which comprise the bulk of an aardvark's diet.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Melton |first=Derek A. |date=June 1976 |title=The biology of aardvark (Tubulidentata-Orycteropodidae) |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1976.tb00204.x |journal=Mammal Review |language=en |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=75–88 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2907.1976.tb00204.x |issn=0305-1838}}</ref> Nocturnal species faced with resource scarcity may increase their diurnal activity to spare the energy costs of staying warm at night, but this comes at the cost of withstanding high temperatures during the day. A study on aardvarks in the [[Kalahari Desert]] saw that five out of six aardvarks being studied perished following a drought.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rey |first1=Benjamin |last2=Fuller |first2=Andrea |last3=Mitchell |first3=Duncan |last4=Meyer |first4=Leith C. R. |last5=Hetem |first5=Robyn S. |date=2017-07-31 |title=Drought-induced starvation of aardvarks in the Kalahari: an indirect effect of climate change |journal=Biology Letters |volume=13 |issue=7 |pages=20170301 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2017.0301 |pmc=5543026 |pmid=28724691}}</ref> Aardvarks that survive droughts can take long periods of time to regain health and optimal thermoregulatory physiology, reducing the reproductive potential of the species.

Aardvarks adapt well to captivity. The first recorded instance was at [[London Zoo]] in 1869, which housed an individual from [[South Africa]].<ref name=UR6/>