The Denver Zoo’s family of — also known as lesser anteaters — is set to welcome a new baby for the first time in more than a decade, officials announced Tuesday.
Zoo staff confirmed mom Winnie’s pregnancy in October, months after she was introduced to father-to-be Santiago, according to the organization.
The road to motherhood wasn’t always an easy one for Winnie, in the announcement. The seven-year-old moved to Denver in 2018 as part of a breeding program recommendation, but was not a good match for her first partner, Laird.
But Winnie and Santiago appeared to hit it off after he moved to Denver from Nashville earlier this year.
Winnie will likely give birth to a single young, which is typical for her species. Adult southern tamanduas usually grow to between 21 and 32 inches — not including its tail — and weigh around 10 pounds, according to the
Tamanduas are native to South America and can live in forests, savannas and mangroves at up to 6,500 feet in elevation. They mainly eat bugs like ants, termites and bees using their tongues, which can grow to nearly 16 inches.
