These are the adorable images of a baby anteater hitching a ride on its mum’s back
The infant, believed to be only three to four months old, will cling to its mother for the first year of its life until it can explore and look for ants on its own.
The photographer Wim Van Den Heever was fortunate enough to encounter the free-roaming Giant Anteaters on a photographic tour in Pantanal, Brazil.
In the wild, it’s hard to find a mother and her young anteater together because they’re timid animals.
“The baby is riding on the mother’s as this is how anteater babies survive their first year.
But it’s not something you see frequently; they are shy, solitary creatures. To be honest, I’m the only one who knows of another person who got the same photos.
“I was on foot and followed them; they don’t have good eyes but excellent noses and ears, so I stood downwind.
“I stood very still, and they came right up to me. They are unusual animals, and it was great to get to see
“I stood completely still, and they approached me very directly. They are one-of-a-kind animals, and it was fascinating to observe them in their natural habitat.
“”The sun was setting, and I simply”let the animal come towards me; it was a wonderful experience.”