MIAMI — Florida’s Zoo Miami has welcomed a new baby anteater.
Thank you to our community for the warm wishes in welcoming "Ziggy Ebenezer", the baby boy anteater, to the family!...
Posted by Zoo Miami on Tuesday, December 22, 2020
According to WSVN, the male pup, born to 7-year-old giant anteater Laura on Dec. 8, her birthday, is gaining strength after initially facing some challenges. The baby arrived on “one of the coldest nights of the year in Miami, and the newborn was found abandoned in the corner of its holding area, weak and cold,” the zoo said in a news release last week. Zoo staffers quickly placed him in intensive care, officials said.
“Though there was significant doubt that the newborn would survive, it slowly started to become more responsive after being heated up and receiving fluids,” the release said. “Zoo keepers were able to collect natural milk from the mom, which was supplemented with a formula substitute and was initially administered directly into the infant’s stomach through a tube that was carefully inserted through the mouth.”
Because the mother rejected the baby, staffers continue to feed him every three hours, officials said.
Now, the pup, named Ziggy Ebenezer, “is doing very well and continuing to gain weight,” the zoo said in a Facebook post Tuesday.
“Our wonderful staff will continue to hand-rear him until he is big enough to be introduced to his habitat,” read the post, which included a video of the baby.
Cox Media Group
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