ACES rescues anteater
Hi! I am a Collared anteater. ACES rescued me. I was dehydrated, hungry and tired. I had been attacked by a dog, I think, and my prehensile tail is injured. Vince found me under a home in putrid water. I think I was an illegal pet.
Cherie gave me freshwater and I slept the first night and all morning. Then Vince and Cherie fed me termites. Yum! I slept some more. More termites. More sleep. The last night I found I knew how to open the door. So they had to lock me in so I wouldn't hurt myself. At 2 am, I got hungry again. So, I opened the locked door and crept into their bedroom. Cherie heard my long claws clicking on the floor and woke up. She put me back in the tub where I am safe. Vince tied the doors shut cause I'm so clever.
This morning Vince found me having fun hanging upside down off the shower rod. He wasn't happy that I ripped the bathroom mirror off the wall. But Cherie fed me more termites anyways. YUM! She made a video of me eating. The I climbed in the crate the San Pedro Animal Hospital lent them and went to sleep. Cherie closed the door and Vince is taking me to the Belize Forest Department. I'm so excited to see Wildlife Officer Rasheda. She is very nice I here. They will assess me and if my injured tail is healed they will try to rehabilitate for re-release. They wish to be sure I can survive in the wild first.
So I will meet a nice lady from Tamandua in Belize. That's my other name. Tamandua. You all on Ambergris should help ACES build the wildlife refuge to help poor critters like me.
Comment from Elbert:
Super cool creature on Ambergris Caye, rarely seen as they live in trees and in the Mangal. Recently lots of conflict with the increased dog population.
Interesting to see you handle it barehanded, I was afraid of the powerful sharp claws.
These guys are cute as hell! AKA 'Tamandua' eat termites from the nest.
Hope they manage to continue living on the island with all the developments and dogs.
Photograph courtesy ACES
Click here to comment on this picture.
Did you know there are four living species of anteaters, ranging from the Giant to the pygmy? They are all found in the Americas, from Mexico to throughout South America. Anteaters are Xenarthrans and they are closely related to sloths and armadillos.