FOR the first time in Dudley Zoo's 79 year history, it is now home to a giant anteater.

Romy arrived last night from Olomouc Zoo in the Czech Republic.

The 11 month-old took her first steps outside her paddock - located opposite the barbary sheep - this morning to explore her new surroundings.

Curator Richard Brown, said: “We’re very excited to have Romy here.

“We’ve wanted anteaters for a long time and as a lot of visitors mistake our Brazilian tapirs for anteaters, they can actually see them now too and notice the differences.

"And as we approach the zoo's 80th anniversary next year, it's great to still be bringing in new animals and being involved in even more conservation programmes."

A distinctive solitary species, found in the tropical forests and grasslands of Central and South America, anteaters have no teeth and use their long tongues, which can project more than two feet, to eat up to 35,000 ants and termites a day in the wild.

However captive anteaters eat a gruel supplement mixture packed full of meat, maize, fish oil and vitamins and minerals, which the zoo had to order in specially for Romy to enjoy.

Richard added: “Romy has joined us as part of a European Studbook programme and we’re hoping a suitable male will join her in the future.”

Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2010, the population has decreased by at least 30 per cent over the past decade, due to habitat destruction as well as being killed for food and pests.