A four-month-old anteater pup born at Edinburgh Zoo has been named Zeferino – a Portuguese word meaning 'West wind’.
Keepers chose the name from a list inspired by the giant anteater's native Brazil, where the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo supports conservation work for the species.
Zeferino was born in December to mum Nala who arrived in Edinburgh in 2009.
Alison MacLean, the zoo’s head of carnivores, said: “Both mum and baby are doing really well.
"Zeferino is still growing and starting to explore independently while still spending most of his time on Nala’s back."
The zoo is currently closed to visitors due to coronavirus, but MacLean said keepers were still watching out for all the animals.
She added: "The keepers are still here giving all our amazing animals the best of care and we have a live camera so viewers can keep an eye on our penguins, panda, koala and tiger.
“Being closed means we have no visitor income and we’re incredibly grateful to our members, supporters and everyone who has donated at this difficult time.
"Anyone who wants to help look after our animals and save species in the wild can find out how on our website."
As well as being part of the European breeding programme for giant anteaters, RZSS supports the Anteaters and Highways project which was set up to help protect the species in the wild.
Based in the Brazilian Cerrado, where more than half of the giant anteater’s habitat has been lost to agriculture over the last 35 years, the initiative aims to quantify the impact of roads on giant anteater populations and evaluate potential effects on the species’ behavior, population structure, and health.
The research results will provide insight into anteater movement patterns, inform road management strategies in Brazil, and help save an iconic species.
