Why Is It Endanger?

Threats to survival

According to the IUCN Red List, giant anteaters are the most threatened mammals in Central America. Listed as a vulnerable species, they are considered extinct in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Uruguay. One of the major threats giant anteaters face is the loss of their grassland habitats due to fires set by sugar cane growers who traditionally burn their fields prior to harvest to remove the plant’s outer leaves, making the cane stalks easier to cut. Not only do these fires affect the habitat, but also the animals—giant anteaters may suffer significant burns.

Other threats include hunting—both for food and because some humans consider giant anteaters pests—and their low reproductive rate. Giant anteaters are also frequently killed by road traffic in the Brazilian Cerrado biome, where a vast network of roads has disrupted their habitat.