A Visit from our Pantanal Partner, Dr. Arnaud Desbiez

Last month, our partner, Dr. Arnaud Desbiez, visited us from Brazil. He is the founder of Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS). Arnaud’s teams lead both the giant armadillo and giant anteater projects that our Zoo supports in Brazil.

During his time, Arnaud met with teams across the Zoo to share more about his wildlife-saving work for giant armadillos and giant anteaters. He gave a presentation to more than 75 staff and volunteers on ICAS and held one-on-one meetings with a variety of teams during his four-day trip. It was also Arnaud’s first time seeing our South America’s Pantanal exhibit – which he helped design –in person since it opened in October 2020.

Arnaud shared, “I had a wonderful time visiting Houston Zoo, and that it’s truly an inspiring accomplishment of what zoo habitats can be. I enjoyed chatting with teams across the Zoo and being surrounded by so many animal lovers.”

The Houston Zoo has partnered with the Giant Armadillo Project to protect wildlife in the Pantanal for over 10 years. The Zoo provides support and training for a number of conservation professional staff, including Brazilian veterinarians and biologists, and has assisted in the support of numerous Ph.D. and Masters students. Several of Arnaud’s Giant Armadillo Project staff have traveled to our Zoo for leadership and veterinary training opportunities from our staff and assisted with our education programs.

The Zoo also provides support and training for the Anteaters and Highways Conservation Project in Brazil where some of the largest remaining populations of giant anteaters exist. Today, Brazil is fragmented by an ever-increasing network of roads. Giant anteaters are among some of the most frequently killed animals on these roads.

To address this threat, Arnaud and his team collect data on why, when, and how giant anteaters interact with roadways from individual animals that have been fitted with tracking devices. The team of field researchers and veterinarians work to follow tagged individuals to assess the impact of roads on giant anteater populations in Brazil. Research results will provide insight into anteater movement patterns and inform road management strategies in Brazil.

Every time you visit the Zoo, you’re helping support our partners, like Arnaud, who are working to protect and save animals around the world.