She may be a baby, but she’s still a giant anteater. A giant anteater pup, to be exact. Delilah was born toward the end of September at the Palm Beach Zoo, weighing approximately 3 pounds. Six weeks later, her weight doubled to just over 6 pounds.
Delilah is the first female offspring of Cruz and Odelia, both approximately 12 years in age. The pair also has three male offspring, two of whom reside at the zoo with their mates and the third is on loan to a facility in Europe. With the addition of Delilah, the Palm Beach Zoo has 11 giant anteaters, holding its place as the Association of Zoo & Aquarium–accredited institution with the second-largest collection of giant anteaters behind the Nashville Zoo.
The Palm Beach Zoo takes part in the Giant Anteater Species Survival Plan, which is run under the auspices of the AZA.
The mission of an AZA Species Survival Plan program is to cooperatively manage specific, and typically threatened or endangered, species populations within AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums. The Palm Beach Zoo currently takes part in more than 60 SSP Programs.
The Palm Beach Zoo is located at 1301 Summit Blvd. in West Palm Beach. For additional information, call (561) 533-0887 or visit the zoo’s web site at www.palmbeachzoo.org.
Above: Delilah, at 2 weeks old, rides on her mother’s back.
