After being tucked away in their burrow for the past month a quartet of meerkat pups have begun making appearances at Chester Zoo. The tiny pups were born on June 11.
Keepers are yet to be able to determine what gender the pups are meaning that their names are still forthcoming. The pups were born after an 11 week gestation.
Team manager at the zoo David White said, “It’s great to have some lively new additions amongst our mob of meerkats. At only a month old it’s too early for us to confirm their genders but we’re pleased to say the pups are doing very, very well and are settling in nicely with the rest of the gang.”
“They’re quickly learning how to forage for food and are spending lots of time grooming and playing together – activities which encourage the family to stay a really tight unit.”
Meerkats are native to the African nations of Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. They live in groups of up to 30 individuals known as mobs.
They are adapted for a life underground with log non-retractable claws which they use to dig and ears that close over to keep the dirt out.
Photo Credit: Chester Zoo
