A rare baby giant anteater has been born at Chester Zoo. The yet-to-be-named youngster is only the third of its kind to be born at the zoo in its 92-year history. Hidden cameras in the anteater’s den captured the birth showing the baby born safely onto the ground before climbing onto mum only a few moments later.
Experts say the pup will now cling to its mum’s back for around 10 months, where its matching stripe on its fur keeps it camouflaged, until it is ready to walk, explore and find food independently. David White, Team Manager in charge of caring for giant anteaters at the zoo, says the baby’s mum, Bliss, is doing an “excellent job”.
Giant anteaters are listed as vulnerable to extinction in the wild by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List. So the new birth is positive news for the species - which is native to Central and South America. The anteaters are threatened in both regions, where much of the grassland they depend on to survive has been destroyed, degraded or damaged by fire.
Road deaths are also thought to be a factor in the decline in their numbers. But Bliss’s new arrival will help ensure the species will continue to survive - even as wild populations are under threat.