Douglas Tompkins backed giant anteater rewilding in Argentina's Iberá wetlands in 2007. 17 years later, more than 100 rescued anteaters had been returned to the wild

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.

A giant anteater appeared on a camera trap in Espinilho State Park in Rio Grande do Sul. The species had not been seen alive in that part of Brazil for about 130 years.

From rescued animals to a growing wild population

Brazilian biologist Fábio Mazim was reviewing hundreds of hours of camera-trap footage in August 2023. His team had hoped to see animals such as the maned wolf, Pantanal deer or Pampas cat. Instead of that they saw the unmistakable long snout and bushy tail of a giant anteater.

“We shouted and cried when we saw it,” Mazim told Mongabay. “It took a few days to grasp the importance of this record. A sighting of a giant anteater was never, ever expected.”

The animal was later recorded 11 times over six months. Researchers could not confirm whether the footage showed one animal or several.

Flávia Miranda, president of the Tamanduá Institute in Brazil, said it was almost certain the animal had come from Corrientes province in Argentina, where the Iberá reintroduction program had rebuilt the population.

The distance between the areas and the animal's physical features supported that view. Rewilding Argentina has released 110 giant anteaters since the program began. The animals have now produced several generations in Iberá, and some appear to be moving beyond the park.

A return that crossed the border

The giant anteater's return to Rio Grande do Sul is important because the animal has faced serious pressure across its range. It is considered vulnerable and has disappeared from several areas. The animals have poor vision and hearing, thus, making roads even more dangerous. In Mato Grosso do Sul, researchers estimated that about 40 giant anteaters die in vehicle collisions for every 100 kilometers of paved road each year.

For Mazim, the animal appearing in Brazil is also a sign that restoration can have effects beyond one protected area.

“The giant anteater returning to Rio Grande do Sul shows the success of the work done in Argentina and how it’s viable, possible and important to do rewilding and fauna reintroduction projects,” he said.

Researchers now want to learn more about the animal in Brazil. Mazim and his colleagues hope to safely capture it and carry out a harmless genetic test to see whether it belongs to the Iberá population.



They are also searching for giant anteaters in nearby Uruguay, where the species is considered extinct. The story that began with rescued animals in Iberá has therefore become much bigger. A species once missing from part of Brazil is now being recorded there again, offering a rare sign that wildlife can return when populations are given space and protection.