Dudley Zoo welcomes first giant anteater pup

The anteater pup, born on 17 January, has been described as a surprise to keepers

Keepers at Dudley Zoo say a giant anteater pup is the first of its kind to be born at the venue in its 85-year history.

The yet-to-be-named animal arrived on 17 January and was "healthy and alert".

Born to Lyra and Bubbles, the pup came as "a surprise", the zoo's curator Richard Brown said, adding it was "fabulous news".

Giant anteaters are native to South and Central America and can measure up to 2.1m (7 feet) long.

Three-year-old mother Lyra arrived at Dudley Zoo from Yorkshire Wildlife Park less than a year ago and "hit it off immediately" with resident Bubbles, four.

The pup will cling to Lyra's fur where it is camouflaged, until it is about 10 months old

Dudley Zoo is taking part in international breeding programmes to protect endangered and at-risk species.

Giant anteaters are listed as "vulnerable" and numbers are declining, mainly due to habitat destruction.

"The arrival of a baby certainly makes all the hard work of bringing rare animals together worthwhile," Mr Brown said.

"Hopefully in time, the youngster will be able to move on to another collection and form their own partnership and hopefully have a family of their own."

For now, the pup is sticking close to Lyra and will cling to the fur on her back for up to 10 months, where it will remain warm and camouflaged.

"Lyra is coping well with first-time motherhood and the pup, who's yet to be sexed, also appears healthy and alert," Mr Brown said.

"We're sure visitors will be as excited to see our new arrival as staff are."