Cute nose, long tongue: Here’s which Denver Zoo mom is expecting a baby in early 2026

The Denver Zoo s family of southern tamanduas also known as lesser anteaters is set to welcome a new baby for the first time in more than a decade leaders declared Tuesday Zoo staff certified mom Winnie s pregnancy in October months after she was introduced to father-to-be Santiago according to the organization Winnie a southern tamandua at The Denver Zoo is expecting a baby in early the first baby tamandua born at the zoo in over a decade representatives revealed on Nov Winnie came to Denver in as part of a breeding venture and met the father-to-be Santiago earlier this year Courtesy of the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance The road to motherhood wasn t inevitably an easy one for Winnie zoo representatives revealed in the announcement The seven-year-old moved to Denver in as part of a breeding effort recommendation but was not a good match for her first partner Laird Related Articles Denver campaign to save flavored tobacco ban gets million more from Michael Bloomberg Denver s new lion cubs are almost ready to meet their fans Beloved Denver Zoo orangutan and single dad Berani euthanized Denver Zoo delays plan for a second entrance still gathering feedback Denver Zoo plans to open second entrance for the first time in years But Winnie and Santiago appeared to hit it off after he moved to Denver from Nashville earlier this year Winnie will likely give birth to a single young which is typical for her species Adult southern tamanduas usually grow to between and inches not including its tail and weigh around pounds according to the Smithsonian National Zoo Tamanduas are native to South America and can live in forests savannas and mangroves at up to feet in elevation They mainly eat bugs like ants termites and bees using their tongues which can grow to nearly inches Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter