Bumi is a giant anteater living his best life at the North Florida Wildlife Center in Lamont, Florida, near Tallahassee. These odd-looking animals seem like they were constructed of spare parts. The body shape is like a wolverine, but it is larger, with powerful limbs and big claws. It has a small head with a long, proboscis-like nose and mouth.
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A giant anteater can reach six to eight feet long from nose to tail. They can weigh between 60 and 100 pounds. Surprisingly, their main diet is almost entirely ants and termites. They use their powerful forelimbs and claws to tear open nests. They have a long, sticky tongue. A meal consists of about 140 insects, so they don’t eat as much as you think.
Enrichment activities are helpful for animals in captivity. They need stimulation, so toys that make them think and use their bodies are encouraged. But sometimes, all they need is a cardboard box.
The way Bumi goes after that box, you might think they mixed some cat in with his DNA. When he sees the box, he swiftly moves to it and pounces. The center of the box collapses, and he stands over his conquest, grunting his satisfaction. Using his claws, he rips a hole in it. Although he is probably searching for food, he didn’t find any.
Why buy them expensive toys when they’d rather play with the box? We’ve heard that sentiment when talking about human children, kittens, any size member of the cat family, and primates. We can now apply it to giant anteaters, too.
You can find NFWC on Facebook and Instagram to follow Bumi’s activities at the North Florida Wildlife Center. To learn more about the non-profit, visit their website.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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