First Ever Baby Giant Anteater Born at National Zoo

The Smithsonian's National Zoo has announced in a press release that a giant anteater was born on July 24. This is a big event because it is the Zoo's first giant anteater born ever in the Zoo's 118-year existence.

After realizing that the giant anteater female, Maripi, was pregnant, the Zoo staff had been carefully monitoring her progress. She is a first-time mom and for the past six months she has been a good obstetrical patient, receiving ultrasounds and other routine tests. After taking the typical giant anteater gestational period into consideration, it was determined that Maripi would give birth at the beginning of August. However, Maripi had other plans.

When a keeper went to check on Maripi on Tuesday, July 24, they were surprised to see a tiny little baby "giant" anteater clinging to its mom's chest. To be cautious, they have not tried to obtain a gender, weight, or the like for now. Many first-time animal moms can get derailed if they are stressed or bothered. Therefore, the Zoo staff has not disturbed Maripi and her baby.

So far Maripi has been an excellent mom, displaying super maternal instincts with her little one. She has been patient with the baby as he or she has learned how to climb up on her back. Since it is normal for "Dad" to not have any part in the rearing or birth of a giant anteater baby, Maripi has been a single mom. The father of the baby is "Dante" and he can be seen in the exhibit yard most all of the time. If you want to try and get a look at Maripi and the new baby, they will be in an exhibit by Lemur Island from 8 to 10 a.m.

Giant anteaters can be found throughout most of Latin America living in a variety of habitats such as grassland savannahs, swamps, humid forests and wetlands. As their names indicates, they love a good meal of ants or termites straight from the mound. They have an amazing sense of smell and can find ant and termite mounds this way. Once located, the giant anteater rips open the mounds with their sharp claws and uses their incredibly long nose and tongue to capture its dinner. With a sticky tongue up to two feet long, an anteater can devour up to 30,000 ants a day!

Maripi is one of three giant anteaters at the National Zoo and has resided there since 2006.

SOURCE:

Smithsonian's National Zoo Press Release. URL: (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/PressMaterials/PressReleases/NZP/2007/anteaterborn.cfm)