Giant anteater born at ZooParc Overloon!

For the first time, a giant anteater has been born at ZooParc Overloon! Mother and her cub are doing well and will remain clinging to mother's back for at least the first few months. The keepers have already been able to determine the gender: it appears to be a male!

Giant anteaters are threatened in the wild by hunting and the disappearance of their habitat. To preserve the species, a European Breeding Program for Giant Anteaters in Zoos has been established, of which the animals at ZooParc Overloon are a part.

Heavy delivery

"For mother Tousle, this is her first cub, so it is always exciting then how it goes. It was a difficult delivery for Tousle, but now she is fully recovered. The cub is doing very well, it has been drinking well with its mother from the beginning," says zookeeper Steven van den Heuvel. The giant anteaters are visible to visitors in their indoor enclosure.

Narrow muzzle and long tongue

The narrow snout and long tongue are characteristic of giant anteaters. With its claws, a giant anteater breaks open an ant or termite nest. When it sticks its nose into this, it can stick out its tongue up to 150 times a minute, thus eating thousands of insects! A giant anteater also protects its long claws well: in fact, it walks on its wrists.