Ministry Update: 3D Printer Farm and Giant Anteaters

Our talented design team has just added a bank of one hundred 3D printers that will be used in creating the thousands of houses and other buildings for the massive indoor scale model of first-century Jerusalem that is currently in process.

Below, you’ll see some photos of these new printers, along with a rendering of this model that will be in three large sections, totaling around 2,000 sq. ft. This model will be exhibited in the Jerusalem building currently under construction at the Ark Encounter.

Because the model is so large and there are thousands of buildings to be made, along with 15,000 people and thousands of plants, etc., this exhibit won’t be open until 2026. It will be a spectacular addition to the Ark Encounter themed attraction.

Giant Anteaters Arrive at the Ark Encounter

Now, while you still have to wait to see the Jerusalem model exhibit, you don’t have to wait to meet our two new giant anteaters who recently arrived at the Ararat Ridge Zoo at the Ark Encounter. (Due to their large size, they were immediately placed in their habitat, but they may not always be visible to guests as they adjust to their new home.)

Our zookeepers shared this with me: Giant anteaters are the largest members of the anteater kind, growing up to seven feet long and up to 140 pounds. Native to Central and South America, they use their two-foot-long spiny tongues to consume over 30,000 insects per day! They may visit over 200 nests each day and use their long claws to tear them open. To protect those claws, they walk on their knuckles. They have no teeth and cannot make their own stomach acid, so God designed them with hardened folds in their stomachs to digest food. The sand and soil they consume while foraging, as well as the formic acid of the ants they eat, also helps. Their sense of smell is 40 times stronger than a human’s, and they can identify each other by each individual’s unique saliva scent.

The male anteater, Douglas, will remain at the Ararat Ridge Zoo. The female, Quinn, will eventually transfer to the newly renovated Eden Zoo at the Creation Museum once it is completed (which will be sometime during the summer). They are solitary and territorial animals, so they appreciate their own space. Be sure to stop by and see these amazing new additions soon!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.