Gilberto meet - Gilberto!
Thursday 5 February 2004
You named our new giant anteater 'Gilberto'- here he is with his namesake, Arsenal's Gilberto Silva
The competition winner was awarded an anteater Adoption, but as an Arsenal fan he decided to give his prize to Gilberto Silva himself. Both Gilbertos are native to the South American country of Brazil, and the player decided the anteater was 'his slightly more hairy brother'!
Our Gilberto was born on the 10 June 2003 and his birth was a major achievement for London Zoo as these incredible animals are increasingly threatened in the wild. There are approximately 200 giant anteaters in the International breeding programme, which Gilberto will go on to be part of when he is fully grown.
Young anteaters spend most of their time clinging to their mother's long shaggy coat however now he is 7 months old, Gilberto is becoming much more adventurous and has been venturing out on his own. His Mum, Sauna, and Dad, Bonito, arrived at ZSL London Zoo in 1998 and 1999.
Giant anteaters are found in Central and South America in a variety of different habitats such as savannah, grasslands, swampy areas and humid forests.
Giant anteaters in ZSL London Zoo Giant anteaters are classed as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List. Numbers have decreased as a result of habitat loss and human disturbance, including hunting.
An adult giant anteater is over a metre long - and that's just its body. It also has a large, bushy tail which can be as long again! Anteaters stand at about 0.6 metres and weigh approximately 50 kg.
Remember, you too can adopt a share of an animal here at ZSL London Zoo for as little as £45.
