Page 29 - April 2017 Life In Naplles Magazine

Head Veterinarian Danilo Kluyber (left) and Dr. Arnaud Desbiez perform a medical exam on a giant anteater prior to placing a GPS harness on it. The GPS unit will transmit
the anteater’s movements to the team for them to analyze in hopes of finding ways to save them from dying on the roads as part of the Anteaters & Highways project.
Photo Credit: © Fergus Gill/Maramedia

RARE GIANTS
SOUTH AMERICA’S

CONTINUE TO SURPRISE

by Tim L. Tetzlaff
Naples Zoo Director of Conservation
L ike innocents arriving through a portal from the GIANT NEWS
Pleistocene past, South America’s giant armadillos
A far cry from their diminutive nine-banded armadillo
and giant anteaters naively wander a gauntlet of
cousins in the United States, giant armadillos weigh up
modern dangers. To give voice to these quiet creatures, a
to 50 kg (110 lbs.) and measure up to 1.5 m (5 ft.) long
team of conservationists led by Dr. Arnaud Desbiez and
with impressive claws that can reach over 20 cm (8 in.).
supported by zoos continues to raise awareness as they
Little was known of these creatures until Desbiez created
answer foundational questions that just may let these
the Giant Armadillo Project in Brazil in 2010. Even most
creatures survive in the today’s Anthropocene age. Their
locals in their range had never seen one. While studying
efforts were recently rewarded with discovering a new baby
these nocturnal creatures, the team had the opportunity
giant armadillo as well as the chance to solve one of the
to observe challenges facing other species and has recently
gravest threats to giant anteaters.
expanded their team to launch a new project to address the
Life in Naples | April 2017 29