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| © Houston Zoo The yet-to-be-named pup is busy bonding with its mom, Olive, the zoo announced Thursday. |
By Morgan Smith, People
The Houston Zoo’s latest addition is cute, brown and has one long snout!
A baby anteater was born on the evening of March 31 to mom Olive the zoo announced Thursday.
“Olive has been very attentive to the baby, carefully nursing and transporting the pup on her back,” the zoo wrote on their blog post about the new arrival.
Giant anteaters usually spend the first few weeks of their lives clinging to their mothers and riding on their backs, a free ride that can last up to 12 months. They’re the largest of their species, often found in South and Central America, and have a big appetite, eating up to 35,000 ants and termites a day, according to National Geographic.
Veterinarians and keepers at the Houston Zoo are giving Olive and her baby space to bond before determining if the baby anteater is male or female.
Like many other zoos and aquariums throughout the country, the Houston Zoo is temporarily closed to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
However, the zoo is accepting donations through an Emergency Zoo Fund to help raise money for the meals, veterinary care and other essentials its animals require.
Giant anteaters usually spend the first few weeks of their lives clinging to their mothers and riding on their backs, a free ride that can last up to 12 months. They’re the largest of their species, often found in South and Central America, and have a big appetite, eating up to 35,000 ants and termites a day, according to National Geographic.
Veterinarians and keepers at the Houston Zoo are giving Olive and her baby space to bond before determining if the baby anteater is male or female.
Like many other zoos and aquariums throughout the country, the Houston Zoo is temporarily closed to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
However, the zoo is accepting donations through an Emergency Zoo Fund to help raise money for the meals, veterinary care and other essentials its animals require.
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| © Provided by People Oregon Zoo |
Animal lovers can still get their fix by checking out the free virtual tours and animal cams many U.S. zoos and aquariums are offering.
The Houston Zoo, Oregon Zoo, and Cincinnati Zoo are just some of the facilities sharing live video updates featuring animals on their Facebook pages during their temporary closures.
Aquariums take viewers “under the sea” with live cams of their different exhibits. Animal lovers can watch glowing moon jellies at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, silly, energetic sea lions at the Georgia Aquarium or sharks swim through a colorful reef at the Tennessee Aquarium.
The Houston Zoo, Oregon Zoo, and Cincinnati Zoo are just some of the facilities sharing live video updates featuring animals on their Facebook pages during their temporary closures.
Aquariums take viewers “under the sea” with live cams of their different exhibits. Animal lovers can watch glowing moon jellies at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, silly, energetic sea lions at the Georgia Aquarium or sharks swim through a colorful reef at the Tennessee Aquarium.
See more at: People
