First look at Edinburgh Zoo’s giant anteater pup

05/02/2020 in Edinburgh Zoo

An adorable 11-week old giant anteater pup has been spotted riding on its mother’s back at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo.

Staff at the wildlife conservation charity say the still tiny pup, who was born on 21 November to mum Nala and dad Lucifer, will take a few months to grow big enough to climb down from Nala’s back and move around independently.

Alison MacLean, carnivores team leader at Edinburgh Zoo, said, “Both mum and baby are spending a lot of time in their off-show area at the moment while the youngster grows.

“The pup is still drinking Nala’s milk and is yet to have a first health check when we will find out its weight and sex before deciding on a name.

“Giant anteaters are vulnerable to extinction in the wild, so every birth is a potential lifeline for the species.”

Along with being part of the European breeding programme for giant anteaters, RZSS supports the Anteaters and Highways project, based in Brazil.

More than half of the species’ habitat in the Brazilian Cerrado has been lost to agriculture over the last 35 years and the remaining habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented by roads and highways.

Giant anteaters are among the most frequently killed on these roads, and road accident fatalities now pose a serious threat to the species’ long-term survival. The project works to collect data to calculate the impact of roads on giant anteater populations and assess potential knock-on effects on the species’ behavior, population structure, and health.

 

 

We would like to thank the players of People’s Postcode Lottery for their generous support which has helped this project.

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Images:

Images are available at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vfrs5ud8a244t02/AADqO5B_wS4uUnqSsaPWRX0va?dl=0

Images are free to use. Please credit RZSS/Sian Addison

Notes to Editors:

• The pup will be weighed, sexed and named after its first health check in the coming weeks and will be fully weaned at about nine months old.
• Since Nala and Lucifer’s arrival in 2009, we have welcomed two baby giant anteaters, a female born in 2010 and a male born in October 2012. Both of which have moved on as part of the breeding programme.
• This species is the largest of the anteaters, with a long snout, up to 45 cm or 18 inches, and a body length from nose to tail measuring up to 185 – 210 cm or about 6 – 8 ft.
• The species is found throughout tropical regions of Central and South America, though its population is declining as a result of habitat loss, road kills, hunting and wildfires.

About the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland                                                 

• The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is the wildlife conservation charity (SC004064) which owns RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and RZSS Highland Wildlife Park.
• Founded in 1909, the Society’s purpose is to connect people with nature and safeguard species from extinction.
• For further information about RZSS conservation projects in Scotland and around the world, please visit rzss.org.uk
• RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and RZSS Highland Wildlife Park are members of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA).  BIAZA represents its member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.

For further information, please contact 0131 314 0383 or comms@rzss.org.uk