GIANTS ARRIVE AT BLACKPOOL ZOO
Two giant anteaters are set to make their debut at Blackpool Zoo this Easter!
A one year old female, Andina from Madrid, arrived at the zoo in mid-March and will soon be joined by a male of the same age from Sweden, who is called Eskil.
The young pair, which keepers are hoping will breed, will take residence in a specially designed enclosure that includes lots of places to dig and scratch, a new pool and even indoor heating!
It is the first time the zoo has housed the species, which is classed as vulnerable in the wild, and their striking appearance is certainly set to cause a stir amongst visitors.
As its name suggests, it is the largest of the anteater species and from the tip of its impressive snout to its rump it can measure up to four feet, with its magnificent bushy tail adding a further three!
With eye-catching black and white diagonal stripes on dense, shaggy hair the giant anteater certainly stands out from the crowd.
Giant anteaters hail from the swamps, grasslands and humid forests of areas from Southern Belize to northern Argentina and they are the last living species to have evolved on South America when it was an isolated continent.
Paula Mulvany, Head Keeper at Blackpool Zoo, said: “It is fantastic to welcome such a wonderful new species to Blackpool Zoo and we have been very busy preparing for their arrival.
“It is the first time we have ever had giant anteaters and everyone is looking forward to the response we get from visitors.”
Numbers in the wild continue to decline due to the dietary specificity, low reproductive rate, large body size and threats of encroachment by humans on their territory.
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Notes to editors:
Pictures show: Andina, Blackpool Zoo’s new giant anteater. Please click on the links below to download pictures
More information about Blackpool Zoo:
Blackpool Zoo’s visitor numbers continued to hit record highs in 2011, with the year being hailed as the busiest in the zoo’s 39 year history.
Blackpool Zoo is owned by ParquesReunidos, the second largest European leisure parks operator and a leading world-wide player. The zoo is home to over 1,500 mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates set amidst thirty-two acres of mature woodland and lakes.
The zoo’s signature animals include elephants, giraffes, big cats, gorillas, orang-utans, sea lions, primates, zebras and kangaroos. It is open every day of the year, apart from Christmas Day, from 10am.
For further information please contact:
Paula Holden, Julie Hackett or Denise Dawson at ICG on 01772 679383 or email paula@icgonline.co.ukJulie@icgonline.co.uk or denise@icgonline.co.uk
Out of office hours contact: Paula Holden on 0777226
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