Nashville
Zoo is happy to announce the birth of a male Giant Anteater on July 17. For the
Zoo, the newest addition is the fourth pup born in the past 10 months. Both
mother and baby are doing well and living together in the off-exhibit Giant
Anteater barn.

“We now have 15 Giant Anteaters at
Nashville Zoo which is the largest collection in North America,” says Rick
Schwartz, Zoo President. “While they are not currently on public display, we do
hope to change than in the future. In the meantime, we will continue to learn
more about this little known and threatened species both in captivity and in
the wild.”

Photo credits: Amiee Stubbs

Giant
Anteaters are solitary animals from the tropical forests of Central and South
America. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the
Giant Anteater as vulnerable due to habitat loss and hunting. Giant Anteaters
are considered extinct in areas of Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala and
Uruguay.