Edinburgh Zoo’s giant anteater pup named

The four-month-old anteater pup born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo has been named Zeferino, a Portuguese word meaning 'West wind’.

Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity chose the name from a list inspired by the giant anteater's native Brazil where RZSS supports conservation work for the species. 

Alison MacLean, the zoo’s head of carnivores, said, “Both mum and baby are doing really well. Zeferino is still growing and starting to explore independently while still spending most of his time on Nala’s back.

“The zoo is currently closed to the public but the keepers are still here giving all our amazing animals the best of care and we have a live cameras so viewers can keep an eye on our penguins, panda, koala and tiger.

“Being closed means we have no visitor income and we’re incredibly grateful to our members, supporters and everyone who has donated at this difficult time. Anyone who wants to help look after our animals and save species in the wild can find out how on our website.”

As well as being part of the European breeding programme for giant anteaters, RZSS supports the Anteaters and Highways project which was set up to help protect the species in the wild.

Based in the Brazilian Cerrado, where more than half of the giant anteater’s habitat has been lost to agriculture over the last 35 years, the initiative aims to quantify the impact of roads on giant anteater populations and evaluate potential effects on the species’ behavior, population structure, and health.  

The research results will provide insight into anteater movement patterns, inform road management strategies in Brazil, and help save an iconic species. 

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