Toronto Zoo’s newest critters have been named Pacha and Yzma

The newly Toronto tamanduas have now been named following a vote with over 7,000 respondents.

The pair have been named Pacha and Yzma – Pacha for the male and Yzma for the female. The names stem from a 2000s Disney movie, “The Emperor’s New Groove,” according to wildlife care keeper Rebecca Rice.

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“If anyone knows the retro Disney movie called ‘The Emperor’s New Groove,’ that’s where the names have come from,” Rice told CP24. “So, we’ve given them a little hint from their South American roots but they also match our new armadillo names, Kuzco and Kronk, so all of them have names from the same movie.”

The Toronto Zoo’s animal care keepers chose which names would be considered in the vote. They came up with five sets of names – most of which pay homage to beloved fictional characters – including Barbie and Ken, Cosmo and Wanda, Bruno and Mirabel, and finally Pacha and Yzma.

“We think they’re great names because the public will know them and they’re really fun to say, especially when we start interacting with the guests and kids further on in the summertime with the animals.”

Rice said that because the tamanduas – also known as lesser anteaters – are from South America, they can’t be on outdoor display until temperatures are consistently at 15 C and above.

They have sticky tongues that can extend up to 40 centimetres long (between 16 to 18 inches). They can also eat up to 9,000 ants or termites a day, and have claws that can break down termite mounds, tree limbs and trunks.

By the late spring and into the summer, the critters will have access to their indoor shelter as well as an outdoor area when they choose to go outside.

“The goal is that they’re going to come out of their habitats to meet people, to meet guests up-close and personal, so we’re hoping this summer but we always go the pace of the animals, so whenever they’re comfortable,” Rice said about introducing the animals to the public.

For the rest of the winter and into the spring, Rice said that they will be working with the tamanduas as they become accustomed to their new environment, people and climate.

“They’re doing really, really well. We’ve only had them for about two months, so that’s not very long at all,” she said.

With files from CTV's Alex Arsenych