Bulletin From the Barn: March 25, 2009
Baby Anteater Update From Keeper Marie Magnuson
As you may have heard we have a new addition here at the National Zoo—a baby giant anteater!
Every morning we do a routine “nose count” of all the animals in our care. On the morning of March 12, we discovered that Maripi, our female giant anteater, had given birth during the night. Even though we knew that she was due to give birth any day, it was still a great thrill and we were all very excited. One of the Zoo's vets with whom Maripi is very comfortable came and took a quick look to confirm that mother and baby were doing fine. Once she said that all was well, we cleared out and let Maripi rest.
Time to Bond
Since this was Maripi’s second baby and we knew that she was a very good mom the first time, it was just a matter of giving her and the baby time to get to know each other. The anteater barn is very well insulated so it was nice and quiet in there, with nothing to upset them. Each of the adults has a kennel to sleep in, just like the ones you would use for a (very large!) dog. Maripi was curled up inside hers with the baby against her chest between her front legs. That is where the baby nurses so they were perfectly positioned. Maripi covered both herself and the baby with her long, luxurious tail and they got some well deserved sleep.
A Father's Work Is Already Done
Dante, the father, was asleep in his stall apparently unconcerned about his latest achievement. Male anteaters play no role in the raising of offspring so it was safer to keep Dante and Maripi separated at night, when anteater births almost always take place. We will continue to keep them apart when they go outside since that would be how they would live in the wild.
Lesson Learned
A little later on that day we brought the anteaters their breakfasts. Maripi got on her feet in her kennel and patiently waited for the baby to climb up on her back before leaving the kennel. It was great to see that she had remembered the lessons she learned with her first baby, Aurora. On Aurora’s first morning, Maripi had gotten up and left the crate as soon as she saw the bowl of food. It is impossible to describe the alarm call of the baby anteater but the best comparison is the velociraptor in Jurassic Park. Maripi did not make that mistake again! We were relieved to see her leave the kennel with the baby clinging to her back because it confirmed that the baby was healthy and that Maripi was taking good car of it.
Precocious Babies
Giant anteater babies are what is called “precocious,” which means they are not helpless and can follow the mother, at least a little ways. With anteaters, this term also means that they can climb up on their mother’s back very shortly after birth. This is the best protection for them in the wild. If your baby is always on your back, you don’t have to think twice when danger threatens—you can just run! And when a mother anteater has just ripped open an ant hill and started feeding on the ants inside, she is ready to take her baby away when the soldier ants start biting her. A very good arrangement for them indeed.
Being Careful
We are being very careful with Maripi and the baby right now as far as putting them outside in the ever-changing spring weather. When it is much warmer and sunny, they go outside for an hour or two, and as long as it is above 50 degrees Dante will be on exhibit, at least for a few hours.
