Thanks to your support, Manduvi the giant anteater has returned to his natural home in the wild after a year of rehabilitation at the Tamanduá Institute in Brazil.
On September 7, Manduvi took his first steps into freedom—a moment made possible by compassionate supporters like you. His release marks another success in our ongoing partnership with the Tamanduá Institute to rescue, rehabilitate, and release orphaned and injured anteaters.
From Rescue to Release
When Manduvi arrived at the institute in June 2024, he was just a year old. He and two other young anteaters, Aroeira and Tarumã, had been rescued after vehicle collisions.
With your help, Manduvi received the expert care he needed to heal and thrive. His rehabilitation included environmental enrichment—logs, termite mounds, and natural materials that encouraged him to dig, forage, and strengthen his sense of smell, all vital skills for survival in the wild.
In January 2025, Manduvi reached the final stage of rehabilitation: the immersion enclosure—a large, natural environment that we helped build in 2022. This space allows anteaters to live more independently, exploring, foraging, and interacting with local wildlife while reducing human contact.
After seven months, Manduvi was ready. Caretakers opened his enclosure door and let him leave when he felt prepared—a “soft release” approach that allows animals to transition back to the wild at their own pace.
Supporting the Orphans of Fire
Your generosity also fuels the Tamanduá Institute’s Orphans of Fire project, which rescues baby anteaters whose mothers have tragically died in vehicle accidents or wildfires.
Collisions along the BR-262 highway near Campo Grande, Brazil, are common, especially as habitat loss and wildfires force wildlife to travel through dangerous areas in search of food and shelter. Giant anteater pups live on their mother’s back for the first six months of life. In these accidents, mothers often die instantly while their young survive—earning the heartbreaking name “orphans of fire.”
Manduvi is one of these survivors. His release follows another joyful success—the reappearance of Cecília and her cub in August. Cecília won our Wild Animal Unique Wildlife Personality Award in 2022, which came with a $10,000 grant to support the Orphans of Fire project.
Protecting a Vulnerable Species
Giant anteaters are classified as vulnerable, and every rescued and released animal helps strengthen their population in the wild. Without intervention, young anteaters like Manduvi would not survive.
He was released in the late afternoon when temperatures were cooler, a natural time for anteaters to explore and feed. These gentle, crepuscular animals are sensitive to rising temperatures and are considered sentinel species, meaning they are among the first to feel the effects of climate change. Every release, like Manduvi’s, is a step toward protecting their future.
Because of your kindness, Manduvi has a second chance at life. And your continued support ensures that more orphaned and injured anteaters will one day follow in his footsteps—back into the wild where they belong.
Thank you for helping us protect vulnerable wildlife and give animals like Manduvi the freedom they deserve. Your support makes stories like Manduvi’s possible. Please consider making a donation today or becoming a member of The Wild Side so that, together, we can rescue, rehabilitate, and release wild animals back where they belong.