Aardvark emerging from burrow in Serbia

Deep shadow envelopes the earthen mound where an aardvark pushes its snout upward. Twilight light catches the fine, bristly fur along its back, creating a sharp rim of silver against the dark soil. Behind the animal, a glacial stream flows with milky, turquoise water, its surface rippling from the recent storm. The water reflects the clearing sky, shifting from slate gray to pale blue. The aardvark stands motionless, its long ears perked, muscles tense beneath the coarse hide. The ground is damp and muddy, scattered with small stones washed by the rushing current. One blade of green grass bends over the edge of the burrow entrance, against the rough, packed earth.