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Baby Anteater Debuts At Zoo Boise

Zoo Boise
Mother Gloria and her new pup, riding on her back.

Zoo Boise welcomed a giant anteater baby in July and that furry pup can now be spotted by visitors at the zoo.  The pup and its mother, Gloria, spent the last few weeks inside their barn and have just now begun to explore their outdoor exhibit.

Anteaters are solitary animals and the father is currently in an exhibit next door to Gloria and her pup.

Giant anteaters, sometimes called Ant Bears, come from Central and South America. They are the largest of four species of anteater. Males can reach 100 pounds and grow up to seven feet long. True to their name, they can eat more than 30,000 ants in a day. They also eat termites.

National Geographic says giant anteaters can flick their tongues up to 160 times a minute when eating ants. Their tongues can stick out more than two feet to reach dinner. They have poor eyesight, so they find anthills by smell.

For the first year of its life, the pup will spend most of its time riding on Gloria’s back. It already has a coat of fur and blends in to its mother to hide from predators. The pup will stay with Gloria for up to two years.

Credit Zoo Boise
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Zoo Boise
This Giant Anteater pup will stay on mom's back for a year.

Find Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio

Copyright 2015 Boise State Public Radio

As Senior Producer of our live daily talk show Idaho Matters, I’m able to indulge my love of storytelling and share all kinds of information (I was probably a Town Crier in a past life!). My career has allowed me to learn something new everyday and to share that knowledge with all my friends on the radio.

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