Nashville Zoo’s Southern tamandua, Alma, gave birth to a healthy male pup this month.
The pup will grow up behind the scenes with mom and will likely become an ambassador animal at the Zoo participating in education programs and animal shows, helping guests learn more about this species.
Southern tamanduas are the arboreal relatives of giant anteaters found throughout much of South America. Their long, sticky tongue is the perfect bug catcher and can reach lengths of nearly 16 inches long! This allows them to scour the narrow tunnels of termite mounds and ant colonies.
The Nashville Zoo financially contributes to the Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center in Iquitos, Peru, an organization working to protect tamanduas through rehabilitation and reintroduction into the rainforests in South America.
