Beloved Naples Zoo giant anteater, Dee Gee, passes away

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Naples Zoo
Credit: Naples Zoo

The Naples Zoo is mourning the loss of a beloved male giant anteater who had given nearly 10 years of joy to visitors.

Dee Gee the anteater joined the Naples Zoo in 2013, where he immediately attracted an audience of avid mammal lovers.

Besides ants, Dee Gee expressed a fondness for several foods, including avocados, bananas and special smoothies.

In an Instagram post Friday, the Naples Zoo said that Dee Gee was an exceptional ambassador for his wildlife relatives, supporting conservation efforts for giant anteaters and armadillos.

According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, giant anteaters have a long, distinctive snout, a 2-foot-long tongue and no teeth.

They may have diminished senses of hearing and sight, but they have a highly developed sense of smell.

Giant anteaters are found throughout Central and South America, except for Guatemala, Uruguay and El Salvador, where they are considered extinct.

Giant anteaters protect their sharp front claws by tucking them into their palms and walking on their front knuckles.

The giant anteater typically walks in a slow, shuffling pattern but can gallop at over 30 mph when necessary.

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