A male giant anteater that arrived at Taipei Zoo on Thursday would be housed with a female of the same species, in the hope that they will produce offspring, the zoo said on Friday.
The seven-year-old animal, named Sanpei, has been loaned to Taiwan by Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Japan, as part of an education and conservation outreach program, Taipei Zoo said.
After a 30-day quarantine period, Sanpei would move in with the nation’s sole giant anteater, a female named Cortesa, it said, adding that it hoped they would produce offspring and contribute to the survival of the vulnerable species.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo via CNA
The loan was facilitated with assistance from the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums, an organization that focuses on animal conservation and protection, Taipei Zoo said.
The giant anteater, an insectivorous mammal native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, has been listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
One of four remaining species of anteaters, it has an elongated tongue that can stretch up to 60cm when feeding on ants and termites, Taipei Zoo said.
Giant anteaters can be up to 217cm in length and weigh up to 40kg, the zoo said.
Cortesa was acquired from Singapore Zoo in 2018 through the European Endangered Species Program
The earliest that zoo visitors would be allowed to have a glimpse at Sanpei would be middle of next month, it added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS