BARBIE AND KEN? Toronto Zoo needs help naming new anteaters

The animals are still settling in behind the scenes but will be seen at the zoo come spring

Jane Stevenson
Published Feb 01, 2024  •  Last updated Feb 01, 2024  •  1 minute read
Join the conversation
Anteaters
The Toronto Zoo is asking residents to help name their newest animals - a male and female Tamandua, also known as lesser anteaters. Photo by Toronto Zoo handout

Swift and Kelce or Barbie and Ken?

Story continues below

Those are two of the choices Toronto residents have been given as potential names for the Toronto Zoo’s new animals – a young male and female Tamanduas, also known as lesser anteaters.

The animals, who are known as “stinkers of the forest” for their ability to spray a foul-smelling secretion four times more powerful than that of a skunk when threatened, aren’t currently on public display but are settling in behind-the-scenes in the Outreach and Discovery area.

But come spring, the animals – typically found in South America – may be seen in the Kids Zoo or on mini adventures throughout the Zoo.

Other fun Tamanduo facts: they don’t have teeth in their long, slender snout but instead use their incredibly long tongue (which can reach up to 40cm) and sticky saliva to catch termites, which they swallow whole.

Read More
  1. The Toronto Zoo, which is owned by the city, said in a news release Monday that it experienced a ransomware attack that was first detected on Friday.
    Toronto Zoo to remain open while investigating effects of cyberattack
  2. The Toronto Zoo is asking people to donate old cellphones to help save gorillas.
    Toronto Zoo's PhoneApes program worthy monkey business
  3. After 24 years of living at the Toronto Zoo, grizzly bear Samson had to be euthanized on Monday, April 10, 2023.
    Toronto Zoo says goodbye to grizzly bear Samson with Indigenous ceremony

Other possible name choices include Bruno and Mirabel, Pacha and Yzma, and Wanda and Cosmo.

Go to https://www.torontozoo.com/tamanduas to vote for their names.

Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Trending
Read Next
Page was generated in 0.50832796096802