Three rock hyrax pups "weighing about the same as a jacket potato" have been born at Chester Zoo.

Despite being known as 'rock rabbits', Rock hyraxes are part of the same evolutionary group as elephants and sirenians - the family of aquatic mammals that includes dugongs and manatees.

Born in late summer, the litter of pups includes two boys and one girl, named Russ, Spud and Jackie.

Weighing roughly 350g, the pups are currently a fraction of the size of the adults, which can weigh up to 4kg. However, despite their small stature, they have an unlikely relative.

"People are always surprised when we tell them that hyraxes are closely related to elephants," said Megan Carpenter, keeper at Chester Zoo.

The two animals look entirely different, Megan explained, but some physical clues pointing to their unusual family history include their long front teeth, which are "a little bit like miniature elephant tusks". Their feet also have some resemblance to elephant feet, "with flattened hoof-like nails".

She said: "It's incredible to look at one of these tiny pups, weighing about the same as a jacket potato, and know that somewhere in its family tree is an elephant."

Hyraxes are found across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, where they live among rocky landscapes and are most active in daylight.

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"Hyraxes are one of those species that you have to look for, but once you've seen them, they are fascinating to watch," Megan added.

"The pups are little chaos potatoes. They are much more energetic than their parents and sometimes get the zoomies, darting about and testing their climbing and parkour skills.

"In contrast, the adults often wedge themselves into corners and grip on to steep rock faces for hours at a time. They're incredibly well adapted to living among rocks and are much better climbers than you might expect."

Lyndon Howson, assistant team manager in visitor engagement at the zoo, explained how the unexpected relationship between hyraxes and elephants offers a "fascinating introduction" to the science of how species are related and classified.

She said: "That's what makes species like hyraxes so interesting – they challenge what we think we know about the natural world and show just how surprising animal evolution can be."