Giant anteaters are unique mammals whose insectivorous specialization creates specific welfare challenges in zoo settings.
Giant anteater welfare in captivity requires a deep understanding of a uniquely specialized mammal whose entire behavioral ecology centers on finding and consuming social insects. The feeding motivation that drives anteaters to travel up to 9 km daily in the wild seeking termite mounds must be engaged through feeding enrichment that requires effort, exploration, and the use of their long tongue — otherwise this core behavioral system is left unsatisfied. Tear-resistant substrates for claw use, olfactory enrichment trails, and feeding stations requiring manual excavation engage the full foraging behavioral sequence in a species that is otherwise difficult to meaningfully enrich.