An adorable anteater pup born in November has been spotted for the first time at Edinburgh Zoo.
The pup, aged just 11 weeks, was seen riding on its mother Nala's back this week – and snappers were quick to capture the super-cute moment on camera.
The anteater will take a few months to grow big enough to climb down from Nala's back and move around independently. It will undergo a health check in the coming weeks where those at the zoo will find out its weight, sex and decide on a name.
Anteaters tend to be found in tropical parts of central and South America, and its population is in decline as a result of habitat loss, kills, hunting and wildfires.
More than half of the species' habitat in the Brazilian Cerrado has been lost over the last 35-years.
The pup's species is the largest of all anteaters – they can grow to as big as 8ft, with a long snout of up to 45cm.
Alison MacLean, the zoo’s head of carnivores, said, “Both mum and baby are spending a lot of time in their off-show area at the moment while the youngster grows.
“The pup is still drinking Nala’s milk and is yet to have a first health check when we will find out its weight and sex before deciding on a name.
“Giant anteaters are vulnerable to extinction in the wild, so every birth is a potential lifeline for the species.”
Mum Nala and dad Lucifer arrived at the zoo in 2009, and have since welcomed two baby giant anteaters – a female in 2010 and a male in October 2012. Both have since moved on as part of the breeding programme.
