A male giant anteater that arrived Thursday in Taiwan on loan from Japan will be housed with a female of the same species, in the hope that they will mate and produce offspring, according to Taipei Zoo.

The 7-year-old anteater, named Sanpei, has been loaned to Taiwan by Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya as part of an education and conservation outreach program, Taipei Zoo said Friday.

After a 30-day quarantine period, Sanpei will be placed with Taipei Zoo’s sole giant anteater, a female named Cortesa, with the goal of them mating and producing offspring, thus contributing to the survival of the vulnerable species, the zoo said.

The loan of the male anteater was accomplished with assistance from the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums, an organization that focuses on animal conservation and protection, the zoo said.

The giant anteater, an insectivorous mammal that is native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, has been listed as a “vulnerable” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

One of four remaining species of anteaters, it is recognizable by its elongated tongue, which can stretch to 60 centimeters when it is feeding, Taipei Zoo said, adding that its diet is mainly ants and termites.

The animal can grow up to 217 cm in length and 40 kilograms in weight, when it reaches maturity, the zoo said.

Cortesa, which was acquired from Singapore Zoo in 2018 through the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), is the only giant anteater in captivity in Taiwan, according to Taipei Zoo.

The anteater that Japan has loaned to Taiwan will not go on public display until mid-April, at the earliest, Taipei Zoo said.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel