The National Zoo is celebrating its first birth of a baby anteater. One of the zoo's giant anteaters, Maripi, gave birth last Tuesday, July 24th. It came as a surprise to animal keepers because they weren't expecting the baby anteater until August.

Zoo veterinarians have not yet determined the gender or weight of the baby - and may not for some time.

Zoo keepers say Maripi is showing good maternal instincts. They say she's being patient as the baby tries different ways of climbing onto her back.

Giant anteaters live in grasslands, swamps, humid forests and wetlands. Their habitat spans most of Latin America - from Belize to Argentina.

The animals have long noses and sticky tongues that can extend up to two feet long to eat up to 30,000 ants a day.