Endangered giant anteater born at Chester Zoo
The birth is the result of an international breeding programme that is working to protect endangered species.
Chester Zoo has welcomed the arrival of a rare baby giant anteater, helping to boost the survival chances of the endangered species.
Born to Bliss and Ono, the giant anteater is only the third born at the zoo in its 92-year history. The birth was captured on hidden cameras and showed the newborn climbing onto its mother’s back moments after birth. It will stay there for approximately 10 months, only changing position to feed on its mother’s milk.
The stripe on the newborn's fur matches its mother's and helps to keep it camouflaged until it is ready to walk, explore and search for food on its own.
David White, team manager at Chester Zoo, said: “Mum, Bliss, is doing an excellent job of looking after her new arrival and seeing the baby clinging on tightly to her back is a really special sight. With giant anteaters being vulnerable to extinction the birth is incredibly positive news for the species. It’s a boost to the safety net population being cared for in conservation zoos like ours, and allows us to learn more about them while raising more awareness of the majesty of the species.”
The birth is the result of an international breeding programme that is working to protect endangered and at-risk species. With numbers continuing to decline in the wild, giant anteaters are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Native to Central and South America, the species is threatened in both regions, which researchers attribute to habitat loss and high numbers of collisions with motorists.
Paul Bamford, field conservation manager for South and Central America said: “We’re working with our partners in Brazil, the Wild Animal Conservation Institute (ICAS), to carry out vital research that assesses the impact of road deaths on giant anteaters over thousands of miles of roads. Such high numbers of collisions with motorists have been recorded that it’s now believed to be one of the main threats to the species after habitat loss.
“Working together with motorists to understand perceptions and attitudes towards the species is also critical for developing effective protection measures, such as tailored road signs, to minimise collisions and the associated risks to both people and anteaters.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
