Giant anteaters were brought back to Argentina's Iberá wetlands in 2007 after years of habitat loss, hunting and road deaths had pushed the species into decline. The project, backed by conservationist Douglas Tompkins and carried out by Rewilding Argentina began with rescued animals. Many had been orphaned after poaching or vehicle collisions. Seventeen years later, the results were showing up far beyond Iberá, as per a report by Mongabay and Tompkins Conservation.
More than 100 giant anteaters had been released into the wild. Several generations were living in the wetlands. Then, in neighboring Brazil, researchers made a discovery that gave the project an even bigger meaning.
