Dawn of December 5, 1998. The sun was born timid and reddish outlining the grove that began to insinuate its green as in a greeting whispered. The doctor opened the door and when entering, in the half-light, she noted that somewhat new there was in the room. A tiny female of anteater, orphan and weakened, waited for it. It emitted a smooth sound as an I gargle monotonous and sad.
It called its mom.
At the beginning the intents failed by feeding it. She was heated and put on a skin, the one that embraced immediately and to which remained grasped as would do it with its mother. Did not it accept the milk that was put him in a dish
The baby bottle was discarded because the characteristics of its small, long and delicate snout did it impossible.
They passed the days. Lorenza, as was called, seemed not to have possibilities of surviving. It was debilitated more and more.
If did not it take food, would die at any moment. But the heat of the direct contact and the patience gave its fruits.
To 5º day the little anteater stimulated by the heat and the pamperings removed its fine, long and sticky tongue and began to drink the indispensable milk of the hand of its keeper.
The hope reborned.
Lorenza little by little begins to take more milk. It is recovered and by the end of December already is fed with milk supplemented and with very small pieces of meat.
In February it begins to walk and to make short walks. Obsessively it is held with its small claws of the pants of its keeper climbing up them. The need of protection is declared of that way.
Gabriela arrived from Switzerland April 13, 1999, through the Program of Cultural Exchange.
Still with the amazement painted in its eyes by the new, unknown and exuberant landscape, removed taking a walk to Lorenza.
The harmony of the contact was instantaneous. The Educated European and the small savage would not be separated in the time that the permanence of the Swiss girl lasted.
From that moment, the arrival of Gabriela was for Lorenza the happy announcement of a delicious breakfast of ants, instinctive and very carefully selected by the small anteater, in the great park of the Zoo.
The small body of Lorenza grew, the soul of Gabriela also.
The small bear helps
Lorenza fully paid the effort put in saving it.
It was very important in many infantile Workshops made mainly in the vacations of winter. Its paper in the tasks of Education was invaluable.
She was happy with her breakfast of exquisite ants next to her friend Gabriela and when arriving the moment from the rest, it had an enormous nest of alfalfa in which snuggled being covered with its tail until disappearing of view.
And the moment of the goodbye arrived
August of 1999. Gabriela goes away. Fulfilled his activities predicted, she must return to Switzerland . It says goodbye to Lorenza and the emotion impedes it.
In its suitcase, the small carved of an anteater, gift of its guide in Paraguay , is for her a symbol and a synthesis of beautiful feelings that will accompany it for always.
In later communications, she tells us that sometimes its glance happens of the snow-covered landscape that it observes there by the window to his table of work and, the small wood carved transfers her in the time and the space.
Then, it takes a walk again by park of that remote country, with its Lorenza selecting carefully the breakfast of ants, the sun shining in the pure air and the birds embroidering the sky with mysterious drawings.
A simple history more, in which the true protagonist is the love to the life
Abril de 2001:
Astrid Gehre alimenta a Brisa y Bruma, decomisadas por la Fiscalía de Medio Ambiente en Febrero de ese año.
CHARACTERISTIC: This mammal of peculiar aspect belongs to the order of the edentates. It is characterized to have a snout extended in tubular form, finished in a small mouth. The previous members are very powerful finishing in 3 fingers provided with nails in hook form.
In the back one long horsehair of bristly hairs that finishes in an enormous tail in fan form is formed. In case of being attacked by some predator like jaguar, the bear sits down in its back legs and extends his arms, striking with hard swipes to its aggressor, for whom the wounds caused by their powerful curved nails can be mortal.
Its coloration is brown blackish with a black strip that from the chest goes by flanks to the back. Its weight is of 40 kilograms , being able a male adult to surpass the 50 kilograms .
Edentates
The anteaters belong to the order of edentates, mammal that lack its main dental pieces. Of them, the anteaters are the truly toothless.
They belong to this group, among others, the lazy, the armadillos and the giant armadillo.
Perfect camouflage
After a few days of born the small bear, it climbs to the back of its mother to which is grasped strongly.
It is located in such a way that the black strip of its body is superposed to the line of its mother, passing even more inadvertent for the predators.
Southern tamandua
A lot more small than the giant anteater but of similar aspect, its colouring is yellow-orange with a black stripe that extends since the chest to the back.
The tail lacks hairs and is prensil what it facilitates the ascent to him to the trees.
Of arborícolas habits , inhabits savannahs, forest and forests.
Is considered threatened at national level as international.
Hábitat:
Forests, savannahs and forests xerófilos.
Geographical Distribution:
This subspecies is distributed from Venezuela and Guayanas to the north of Argentina .
Diet:
Ants and termites. With his powerful nails breaks the nests and introduces his long and sticky tongue in which the insects remain adhered.
Reproductión:
After 6 months of gestation, the female gives light to 1 young that it remains in the back of its mother by several months .
The anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
Its population is seen affected seriously by the destruction of its habitat and hunting. At international level is included in the Appendix II of CITES. SUBJECT TO STRICT SUPER VISION
