(WXYZ) — The Detroit Zoo said on Monday morning that Chesley, the oldest-living giant anteater at a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums has passed away.
Chesley was born in 1996 and arrived at the Detroit Zoo a year later in 1997. She was 26 years old, the zoo said, and lived longer than most anteaters.
"Chesley or ‘Mama-Ches’ (as she was affectionately known) was a great companion to several other anteaters including her daughter, Raya, and Bissell, her great-granddaughter. She often enjoyed taking naps in the sunshine and tearing apart one of her favorite treats, an avocado, with her front claws," Besie Meister, the associate curator of mammals, said. Betside cared for Chesley during her time at the zoo.
Her daughter, Raya, and great-granddaughter, Bissell, will remain in the habitat.
