Northern Ireland

Belfast Zoo welcomes baby giant anteater

Belfast Zoo's new giant anteater baby can already be seen out and about and oftern hitches a ride on mum's back 
Belfast Zoo's new giant anteater baby can already be seen out and about and oftern hitches a ride on mum's back  Belfast Zoo's new giant anteater baby can already be seen out and about and oftern hitches a ride on mum's back 

BELFAST Zoo is celebrating a new arrival - a baby giant anteater.

The latest addition to the zoo was born on November 2 2017 to parents Kara and Pancho.

Belfast Zoo is home to the only giant anteaters in Ireland.  Kara arrived from Duisburg Zoo and was joined by Pancho from Halle Zoo in 2012, as part of a collaborative breeding programme.

Zoo curator, Raymond Robinson said: “The pup spends the first year of life hitching a ride on the mother’s back.  The infant is born with a full coat of hair and is almost identical to the adult. 

The Zoo is still waiting to find out the sex of the new arrival before picking a name 
The Zoo is still waiting to find out the sex of the new arrival before picking a name  The Zoo is still waiting to find out the sex of the new arrival before picking a name 

"This helps to camouflage the baby against the mother’s coat and also makes the mother look larger to predators. 

"However, it is this camouflage that makes it very difficult for keepers to find out whether the newest member of the zoo family is male or female. 

"We want to give the pair time to bond and minimise disruption, so a name will be selected when the baby is old enough. 

The giant anteater is an endangered South American mammal.  As their name suggests, the giant anteater is the largest species of anteater in the world and can grow up to seven foot in length. 

Mr Robinson said: "Incredibly, a giant anteater can eat more than 30,000 ants and termites in a day. The anteater is unquestionably an unusual looking species.  They have long course hair, a large bushy tail and a very long snout.  They use their claws to rip open ant hills and use their long tongue, which measures up to 50 centimetres, to mop up the insects from inside the termite mount."

Zoo manager, Alyn Cairns, said “While they were once widespread, today their numbers vary drastically between countries and they are now considered one of the most threatened mammals in Central America.

“This unique species is facing the very real risk of extinction in the foreseeable future and it is imperative that Belfast Zoo and zoos around the world work together to play an active role in ensuring the survival of the species."