U.K. Zoo Welcomes First Giant Anteater Pup in Its 85-Year History: 'A Special Surprise'

The Dudley Zoo and Castle has a new furry family member!

On Valentine's Day, the Dudley, England facility announced that a group of zookeepers were recently in for a sweet surprise when they discovered that a giant anteater had been born. The newborn pup, whose gender has not been announced, is the first of its species to be born at the zoo in its 85-year history.

The anteater arrived Jan. 17 to parents Lyra and Bubbles. In a statement shared to the Dudley Zoo site, DZC Curator Richard Brown said that both mother and pup are doing well.

"The first baby anteater in our zoo history is fabulous news, especially as we're marking such a milestone anniversary year," Brown said. "Lyra is coping well with first-time motherhood and the pup, who's yet to be sexed, also appears healthy and alert."

Giant anteaters, which are native to Central and South America, are currently classified as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, mostly due to habitat destruction, the zoo said. The Dudley, England zoo participates in international breeding programs in an effort to protect such endangered species.

Last year, Lyra was relocated to the zoo from Yorkshire Wildlife Park less to pair up with Bubbles through the European Endangered Species Program, and the two clicked from the start.

Commenting on the happy news of the pup's birth, Brown told BBC, "The arrival of a baby certainly makes all the hard work of bringing rare animals together worthwhile."

"Hopefully in time, the youngster will be able to move on to another collection and form their own partnership and hopefully have a family of their own," he added.