A baby giant anteater is born at the Amazon World Zoo Park in Newchurch, Isle of Wight A baby anteater became the centre of attention for visitors at a zoo as it clung to its mother’s tail just days after being born.
The Giant Anteater, whose gender is not yet known, will cling to its mother for four months until it is ready to walk, explore and find food on its own.
The ‘adorable’ mammal will also occasionally crawl onto its mum's front to feed at Amazon World Zoo Park in Newchurch, Isle of Wight.
It measures just over one-foot long, weighs three pounds and is the first Giant Anteater to be born in the UK this year.
The baby will be named once keepers can get close enough to tell whether it is a boy or a girl.
It will be fed an adult diet of insects, eggs and beetle larvae when it reaches six months old.
Parents Ernst, six, and Kliene, four, arrived at Amazon World in 2005 and 2007 from Germany and became part of an international breeding programme.
They produced their first young, Ishak, in August 2008 and he has now moved to Aalborg Zoo, Denmark.
Once the newborn anteater reaches adulthood he will also leave the island to join a mate at another animal collection. Anteaters are a ‘near threatened’ species.
Sian Sayers, from the zoo, said: ‘Kliene has been a really good mum and is doing a fine job looking after her youngster.
The baby anteater entertains visitors at a zoo as it clings to its mum's tail just days after being born - it will cling to its mother for four months until it is ready to walk, explore and find food on its own‘She seems very proud of her newborn and has been parading around her enclosure showing him off to the visitors.
‘He is clinging on tightly to her bushy tail and is so adorable.
‘We can't tell yet whether it is a boy or girl. You have to get close enough to see and because they are doing so well we don't want to interfere.
‘Kliene spends her day foraging for food and the little one spends most of his time sleeping on her back or tail. It must be hard work hanging on so tightly.’
Head keeper Rachel Patrick said: ‘We are very happy that both mum and baby are doing very well.’
Giant Anteaters have a gestation period of 190 days and normally have one baby each time.
source: dailymail
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