CINCINNATI — Move over Fritz because the Cincinnati Zoo has a new little superstar.
After being on birth watch for more than a month, Isla the tamandua gave birth to a healthy pup Thursday, the zoo said in a press release.
“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."
The long birth window created a unique fundraising opportunity for zoo employees to participate in a baby pool. The zoo said employees could guess a birthday and time of birth for $5 a submission. All proceeds are being sent to the Anteaters and Highways project. The goal is to help save the animals from becoming extinct in the wild, according to the organization's website.
Zoo spokesperson Michelle Curley said that the winner of the baby pool will be among the first to see the pup up close.
The tamandua is also known as "the lesser anteater." According to scientists, it uses its long snout to sniff out ants, termites and bee colonies. Its long claws help it dig into nests and the long sticky tongue is used to luck up all the insects.
Just one tamandua can eat up to 9,000 ants in a single day, the zoo said.
Keepers said they are not yet sure if the newborn is a boy or a girl.
The zoo did not say when the public would be able to meet the baby for the first time.
The pup is the first zoo baby of 2023. Until now, Fritz the hippo was the latest newborn star following his birth last summer. Ever since, he's stolen the spotlight from his big sister Fiona. It is unclear if the new tamandua will take the spotlight.
The zoo is also awaiting the arrival of a baby sloth. Lightning is expected to give birth in the summer.
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