The Sacramento Zoo is celebrating the birth of a giant anteater, the first of its kind to be born in the zoo's 83-year history.
The newborn arrived Tuesday morning and will be inside the den with its mother, Amber, for a few weeks until the baby is strong enough to ride on its mother's back, zoo officials said.
A second baby was also born on Tuesday, a few hours after the first but died shortly after birth.
Zoo officials said newborns are more likely to survive in captivity, but complications can still occur.
"While it's never easy to lose an animal, and we're saddened by the loss of one of our newborn anteaters, we are very hopeful that the surviving youngster will thrive and be an exciting addition to our zoo," said Harrison Edell, the zoo's general curator.
The newborn was first taken to Dr. Murray E. Fowler Veterinary Hospital because it needed medical attention, but was returned to its mother less than 24 hours later.
Zoo officials said observations through a closed circuit video feed showed mother and baby to be responding well and by Thursday, both were sleeping comfortably in their den and appeared to be in good health.
The Sacramento Zoo began exhibiting anteaters in 2004. Amber arrived March 2009 and zoo keepers confirmed her pregnancy in January.
Many baby anteaters will ride on their mother's back for up to a year. A mature anteater can weigh as much as 140 pounds and stretch as much as 7 feet from snout to its tail tip.
