CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo confirmed this week that its baby tamandua passed away on Jan. 9 — not even a week after it was born on Jan. 5.
What You Need To Know
- The baby tamandua was the zoo’s first animal born this year
- The mother tamandua and baby tamandua both showed healthy signs
- The death came as a shock to the zoo
“This was unexpected, as mom and baby appeared to be doing well. Please keep the tamandua care team in your thoughts,” the zoo wrote on its Twitter. “This is a tremendously difficult loss for them.”
The care team said the mom, Isla, as well as the baby showed healthy signs up to the baby’s death.
Since mid-November, the zoo care team has been monitoring Isla’s every move and continued to conduct regular ultrasounds to check for fetal development, and there were also no issues found.
“This tiny tamandua pup was already loved and adored by many, as our community had been awaiting its arrival since they learned of Isla’s pregnancy back in October,” the zoo said, as it was the zoo’s first baby born in 2023.
The tamandua is known as the lesser anteater and has a long snout to sniff out ant, termite, and bee colonies. Their long claws allow them to dig into nests while their long tongues lick the insects. One tamandua can eat up to about 9,000 ants in one day.
