Cincinnati Zoo announces birth of tamandua pup, first baby of 2023

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo has announced the birth of a healthy baby tamandua, its first baby of the new year!

Nine-year-old Isla gave birth early Thursday morning after being on birth watch for more than a month, zoo officials said.

The pup’s sex has not yet been determined.

“The birth window for tamanduas is 130-190 days, and Isla’s pup came at the very end of that window,” said Cincinnati Zoo’s zoological manager Julie Grove. “Our Zoo Volunteer Observer (ZVO) team has been monitoring Isla’s every move since mid-November, and our care team has performed regular ultrasounds to track fetal development. Isla’s keepers have established an amazing bond with her, and she cooperates fully with ultrasounds and other health-related procedures.”

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The long birth window created an opportunity for zoo employees to participate in a baby pool.

Each date/time guess was $5, and all proceeds will be sent to the Anteaters & Highways project, zoo officials said. The winner will be among the first to see the baby up close.

Also called the lesser anteater, the tamandua uses its long snout to sniff out ant, termite, and bee colonies, the zoo said.

Their long claws enable them to dig into nests, and a “long sticky tongue” licks up the insects. A single tamandua can eat up to 9,000 ants in a single day, according to the zoo.

The zoo did not say when the public would be able to meet the pup for the first time.

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