After arriving at Colchester Zoo on the 27^th January 2017 our two Southern Tamanduas have been spending more and more time together and as the weather continues to warm up they have also been exploring their outside area!

Our male, named Oreo and female, called Ruth have been enjoying the sunshine and the fantastic high beams and ropes in their outdoor area at ‘Worlds Apart’ which they share with our sloth, TiTi monkeys and Geoffroy’s marmosets .

Our pair originally arrived separately at Colchester Zoo but after being introduced a few weeks ago the pair have been getting on extremely well and their friendship has blossomed.

This fantastic species had previously been at Colchester Zoo so we are delighted to welcome them back to ‘Worlds Apart’ and for them to now enjoy the summer weather outside.

See them exploring their outside area here: 

Tamanduas are arboreal anteaters meaning they spend a lot of their time in the trees; they have long, strong claws and a prehensile tail which allows them to hold onto branches when climbing. Their tongue can be extended up to 40cm from their mouth which they use for collecting ants and termites. Tamanduas are most active at night but you may be lucky enough to see our new arrivals as they explore their home.

Tamanduas are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN red list.