Zoo's First Baby Giant Anteater
 |
The Zoo celebrated a first on the morning of July 24, 2007—the birth of a giant anteater. On September 5, Zoo veterinarians examined the baby for the first time and confirmed that it's a girl! The six-week-old appeared healthy and weighed 8.3 pounds. |
This anteater baby left for the Zoo Parc de Beauval in France in summer 2008. The keeper diary about her appears below.
Learn about the Zoo's second baby giant anteater, born in March 2009.
Learn about the Zoo's third baby giant anteater, born in December 2010.
July 2008
Now a year old, Aurora is doing great! She is with her mother, Maripi, only when they are in the yard. At this age, in the wild, she would probably still be living near her mother but would no longer be eating and sleeping with her. Aurora and Maripi had started sleeping in separate kennels by their own choice so all we had to do was close the door between them. Neither was at all upset and the keepers think that Maripi was a little relieved. Aurora would still try and get on her mother’s back when she was nervous and since she now weighs about five pounds more than her mother, it was kind of rough on Maripi!
All the giant anteaters here at the Zoo are on loan from the Nashville Zoo, and Aurora belongs to them. She will be going to Nashville soon and will be paired with a young male named Gabe. They will be introduced to each other in Nashville. When staff there are sure that the anteaters are comfortable with each other, they will go to a zoo in France! The keepers here and in Nashville have tried to convince our zoos' curators that we should probably go with Aurora and Gabe to help them settle in but unfortunately without success. France will have to wait.
April 2008
Aurora continues to grow at a great rate! In mid-April, she weighed 67 pounds; her mother is now 85 pounds. She looks more like her father, Dante, who is more solidly built, than her mother, Maripi, who is relatively tall and leggy. Aurora and Maripi are both enjoying the warmer weather and are usually out in the yard, near Lemur Island, in the afternoon. Dante is usually out in the morning.
In the wild, Aurora would be spending less and less time on her mother's back, and that is what we are seeing here. She is quite independent in the yard, exploring it on her own, digging holes, and tearing into logs. We are trying to train her to learn that a bell we ring in the afternoon means it's dinnertime and that she should come inside. We could also use this signal to bring her inside if severe weather was expected. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but we don't know if she doesn't understand or if she is simply ignoring us because she is having too much fun outside!
December 2007
 |
| A Zoo veterinarian uses a stethoscope to listen to Aurora's heart and lungs while a keeper holds her. |
In mid-December, she had a routine health exam, at which she received a booster shot for her vaccination against distemper. Veterinarians determined she has a healthy heart and lungs, and is strong and feisty. They weighed her at 28.6 pounds, a significant increase from her weight of 8.3 pounds at one month.
Aurora will likely ride on her mother’s back during most of her first year.
October 2007
By early October, the keepers noticed Aurora was becoming more independent and lively all the time. She can often be spied playing on the ground around her mother, Maripi, while she sleeps. On October 4, Maripi and Aurora took their first outdoor bath together in the afternoon. Giant anteaters like to bathe, and Aurora hangs on to her mother's back while Maripi grooms herself with her claws.
July 2007
The Zoo's animal care staff and veterinarians had been closely monitoring the adult female anteater for several months, performing regular ultrasounds and other diagnostics. Based on the typical gestation period of giant anteaters, staff expected the mother to give birth in early August. She surprised them early on July 24 when a keeper checking on the animal discovered the tiny baby clinging to its mother’s chest.
About Giant Anteaters
At birth, giant anteaters are about three pounds and covered in hair, looking much like miniature adults. When a baby rides on its mother's back, similar coloring helps keeps the baby camouflaged. Giant anteaters, native to Central and South America, can eat as many as 30,000 ants a day. 
more
This video shows the Zoo's mother giant anteater with its week-old baby.
Visiting the Anteaters
Giant anteaters have one of the lowest body temperatures of all mammals. The Zoo's anteaters will be on exhibit in their yard next to Lemur Island only when the temperature is above 50 degrees. The adult male will go out first, and the adult female and baby Aurora will go out later in the day, when it's warmer. If the weather allows, mother and baby may be out until 3 p.m. We apologize if there are no anteaters on exhibit during your visit.
