Anteaters and ducks aren’t obvious companions, but at the Sunshine Aquarium in Tokyo these very different animals were filmed sharing a hilariously awkward moment together. Hilarious for the ducks, at least.
The anteater, a tamandua from South America, seems excited by the prospect of a free buffet in the duck enclosure. Granted, there are no juicy insects on offer here—just a bunch of boring old leaves, by the looks of it—but beggars can’t be choosers.
Problem is, the food isn’t exactly within arm’s reach. Ducks being ducks, the tray of food is located in the middle of a big pool of water.
The anteater obviously thinks it’s worth the effort, as he begins cautiously leaning across from his wooden perch, gripping on for dear life with his clawed feet. Soon enough he’s formed his stretchy arboreal body into a hairy bridge, and wastes no time sticking his elongated snout into the tray for a bite to eat. Huzzah!
Except not really. There’s still the small matter of getting back to that wooden platform without becoming the world’s first freshwater anteater. Realising his error in judgement, the mammal begins to panic, spilling his former lunch all over the enclosure and getting himself into a right soggy tangle while aquarium visitors giggle at his misfortune.
How embarrassing but lesson learned: don’t steal from ducks.