On Friday, a group of firemen were fighting the flames in Ipueiras, Brazil, when a large animal came out of the grass.
The anteater, a southern tamanu, tried to get away from the burning bushes, but it wasn’t fast enough. Soon, the anteater was surrounded by flames and the firemen knew they had to act quickly to help the animal.
The firemen began to follow the anteater when it suddenly stopped and stood on its hind legs.
He extended his arms as if to surrender, a position sometimes called “the anteater hug.
“He was scared and I think he felt threatened because he stopped, stood up and made a movement as if to make himself bigger so that we were afraid of him,” Lieutenant Dutra, a member of the Ceará Military Fire Department, told The Dodo.
Anteaters have strong arms and claws, which they use to destroy termite nests and defend themselves from predators. Although they have poor vision and hearing, when an anteater feels threatened, it can be dangerous.
Firefighters, who are trained in animal rescue and disposal, knew it was worth the risk to get the anteater to safety.
Habitat loss, the illegal pet trade and the intentional burning of sugar cane fields and forests by farmers threaten anteaters and other wildlife species in Central and South America. Fortunately, firefighters were able to capture the anteater and release it in a nearby area without damage.
“We left it in a place… similar to where we found it, so it has water and food available,” Dutra said.
Thanks to the crew, the anteater has another chance to live out its years safely in the wild.