The factory farming industry is clearing land on a shocking scale: in 2020 alone, ‘slash and burn’ fires consumed a third of the Pantanal biome, killing 17 million wild animals.
You are helping our partner The Institutió Tamanduá to care for several giant anteaters affected by the fires in Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland.
Their life-saving orphanage ‘Orfaos do Fogo’ – Orphans of the Fire – was set up to rehabilitate and return orphaned baby anteaters to the wild. There, anteaters are given the care and time they need to recover, and are supported to explore their natural behaviours and instincts that will be crucial once they are released.
Here are just four of the giant anteater pups currently under their care:
Trovão
Trovão is 14 months old and was found on a farm, surrounded by barking dogs. His name means ‘thunder’ in Portuguese and he’s very strong, and extremely loud! Trovão is smaller in size than other young anteaters of the same age, but he shows all the natural and expected behaviours. He is a very active animal, that feeds very well - he prefers natural food to feed, preferring to go out foraging and finding ants on the ground.
Cecilia
Cecilia is 11 months old and was found on a road. Cecilia and her mother had fled a fire in the region, and to reach safety, they needed to cross a busy and fast road. Unfortunately, Cecilia’s mother did not survive. Since arriving at the orphanage, Cecilia is growing very healthy. She is calm and relaxed but also one of the most active pups, and sometimes stays awake when the others are resting. She shows a lot of interest in foraging in open areas.
Tereré
Sadly, Tereré was also found in a road after losing his mother. He is 12 months old and is the calmest of the squad, he is quite lazy and loves to rest amid the vegetation found in his enclosure. Since arriving at the rehabilitation project he has gained a lot of weight and has adapted well to living alone. He is not as eager to eat or forage as the others, but he does love water as you can see!
Tamara
Tamara was found on an avenue, after tragically losing her mother in an accident with a car. Tamara is 24 months old and has already developed adult behaviour, where she sleeps most of the day and only wakes up to feed. A quiet animal, she is now living in the immersion enclosure where she is adapting well and is very active.
When the animals are transferred to the immersion enclosure (pre-release), they start to receive more natural enrichments such as termite mounds, so that they get more and more used to interacting with things found in nature.
Orphans of the Fire biologist, Manoela Pinho said, “The most rewarding aspect of the work is to see that the animals already released continue to develop well and survive in the wild and that in the long term, this work can ensure the growth of the population of the giant anteaters in the southern Pantanal, favouring genetic diversity and the conservation of the species and the biome
With your support, we can give vulnerable anteaters another chance at life.
Will you donate to our anteaters appeal and protect more orphaned anteaters like Trovão, Cecilia, Tereré and Tamara?
Image credits: Tamanduá Institute
The Pantanal region, the world's largest wetland, is characterised as a region rich in biodiversity and home to iconic species such as the giant anteater and the jaguar.