The newest giant anteater pup at the Nashville Zoo. Photo by Amiee Stubbs / Nashville Zoo.

Nashville Zoo welcomed a baby giant anteater on July 17. Both the mother and baby are bonding in the off-exhibit giant anteater barn. “We now have 15 giant anteaters at Nashville Zoo which is the largest collection in North America,” says Rick Schwartz, Zoo President.

Giant anteaters are solitary animals from the tropical forests of Central and South America. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the giant anteater as vulnerable due to habitat loss and hunting.