There’s been lots of excitement in our meerkat habitat recently with the arrival of five tiny new pups!
Born on the 5th of May to proud parents Cardi B and Biggie, the new arrivals are the pair’s fifth litter since joining us in 2022 – and they’ve made themselves right at home in our busy meerkat mob.
Our meerkat mob has now grown to 19 strong, and they’re a lively bunch! From chirps and chatters to alarm calls and squeaks, there’s almost always something going on.
Meerkats are incredibly social animals and live together in close-knit groups called mobs. Every member of the mob plays a role, helping to protect, babysit and raise the youngsters together. That teamwork starts right from day one. Meerkat pups are born blind, deaf and almost hairless, spending their first days tucked safely underground while the rest of the mob helps care for them. Amazingly, even females who haven’t had pups of their own can begin producing milk to help support the litter.
Now just a few weeks old, our newest arrivals are beginning to venture outside and explore their surroundings.
Carolyn Booth, Pets Farm Team Leader, said:
“The pups are starting to find their feet and already you can see their little personalities emerging. It’s a brilliant stage to watch and the whole mob has really stepped up to help raise them. It’s a proper family effort, and the group dynamic is fascinating to see at this size.”
If you’re visiting over the next few weeks, keep an eye on the meerkat habitat – you might spot the pups popping in and out of their burrow or following closely behind the adults as they learn the ropes.
And if you can’t make it along in person just yet, don’t worry – we’ll be sharing plenty of meerkat ‘pupdates’ across our social media channels as the pups continue to grow.