Zoo Boise is happy to announce the birth of a giant anteater pup. The baby was born July 6 and is now starting to venture outside with its mother, Gloria. After a few weeks of privacy inside their barn, the two anteaters are starting to explore their outdoor exhibit for short periods of time and may be viewable to zoo visitors.
With the exception of mothers with offspring, anteaters are generally solitary animals. The male anteater, McCauley, can be found in a separate exhibit next to Gloria and the pup.
During their first year, giant anteater pups will spend much of their time riding on their mothers’ backs. Born with a full coat of fur, the pup is able to blend in with its mother so that predators cannot easily see it. The pup will stay with its mother until it is full grown between one and two years of age.
Native to Central and South America, giant anteaters are the largest of the four anteater species, with males weighing up to 100 pounds and measuring up to 7 feet in length. In the wild, giant anteaters can eat up to 30,000 ants or termites each day.
Along with the giant anteaters, visitors to Zoo Boise have four weeks left this summer to see the Butterflies in Bloom exhibit. Visitors can stroll through a flower filled greenhouse as hundreds of colorful butterflies from Costa Rica fly above and around them. Butterflies in Bloom is included with regular zoo admission and is open through Labor Day.
Zoo Boise invites the community to Keep Your World Wild; the zoo turns the act of visiting the zoo into a conservation action. Zoo Boise is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, a national organization that supports excellence in animal care, conservation, education and science. Located in Julia Davis Park, Zoo Boise is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Labor Day. For more information, see www.zooboise.org or call 608-7760.