Eury the 22-year-old anteater that charmed TikTok with ‘old man antics’ dies at NC zoo
A 22-year-old giant anteater that became a TikTok sensation died May 10 at a North Carolina zoo.
The death of Eury, a beloved part of the Greensboro Science Center, left staff and fans “heartbroken,” the zoo said.
“Eury, who would have turned 23 next month, was beyond his life expectancy,” the zoo said in a May 11 Facebook post. “He had been under palliative veterinary care, including acupuncture to alleviate pain due to chronic arthritis, for some time.”
Eury, whose name was an abbreviation of Eureka, arrived at the Greensboro Science Center in 2008, according to the zoo.
Prior to his death, Eury went viral on TikTok in adorable videos of him not wanting to get out of bed and other “old man antics,” as the zoo liked to call it.
“Hear me out, what does he have to get up for? Is he late for something? Let him sleep!” a viewer commented on one viral TikTok of Eury.
Some of the videos of Eury got more than 30 million views in April.
“He was memorable and such a unique animal to work with. Some of Eury’s favorite things were stinky shoes, sunbathing, painting with his food, and showers,” the zoo said. “He will be greatly missed and will leave a giant anteater-sized hole in all of our hearts.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2023 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Eury the 22-year-old anteater that charmed TikTok with ‘old man antics’ dies at NC zoo."
