Giant anteaters have highly specialised foraging behaviours, spending up to 16 hours daily seeking food in the wild, and their welfare in captivity depends critically on providing feeding enrichment that engages their powerful digging and tongue-use behaviours.
Giant anteater welfare in captivity depends on feeding enrichment that engages their most fundamental behavioural drive — foraging. Providing food through locked foraging devices, buried feeders that require digging, and varied food presentation maintains behavioural repertoire and prevents boredom. The specialised diet requires careful nutritional management to avoid deficiencies. Social housing is inappropriate for this solitary species. Space must accommodate natural ranging movement, though enclosures are necessarily smaller than wild home ranges. Positive reinforcement training reduces handling stress during health checks. Zoos holding giant anteaters contribute to species survival through regional breeding programmes for this vulnerable species.