Tulsa Zoo breaks ground on new habitat to house giant anteaters

The Tulsa Zoo broke ground Monday morning on a new exhibit that will add giant anteaters to the zoo's roster of animals for the first time ever.

What will the new exhibit include?

The zoo said the Clayton and Gina Hughes Family Giant Anteater Habitat will have open viewing areas to give visitors an up-close look at the mammals.

It's designed to let people view the unique adaptations of the species.

The habitat will also include indoor and outdoor spaces to make sure the giant anteaters are comfortable year round.

Where will it be located?

This new exhibit will be located near the Rainforest exhibit.

What makes this new addition unique?

"They're very unique animals with that long snout, that long tongue. You know they're eating a lot of small insects, typically in the wild," Tulsa Zoo VP of Animal Conservation of Science Joe Barkowski. "Unfortunately, they do fit in with the rest of the animals at the zoo because they are considered vulnerable."

Barkowski said the giant anteaters have lost nearly 30% of their population over the last 10 years.

The zoo said giant anteaters are currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because of degrading habitat conditions in their geographic range in Central and South America.

There are nearly 100 animals of this species in around 50 Association of Zoos and Aquarium's accredited facilities.

When will the habitat open?

The zoo plans to have a ribbon cutting and open the exhibit fully to the public sometime in Fall 2025.