At just 4 weeks old, Knowsley Safari’s newest arrivals are already causing a stir as they make their mark on the meerkat habitat.
The tiny litter of five pups, smaller than an egg at birth, arrived on May 28 to first time parents Harry and Luna (named after Harry Potter characters due to a small zig zag on dad's head).
It is the first time that meerkat pups have been born at the Merseyside based Safari in four years.
The adorable pups spent the first weeks cradled in their indoor home under heat lamps and have only recently emerged as the weather improved to explore their new area with the rest of the mob .
Craig Scott, Meerkat Keeper comments: “The pups are just four weeks old, but they are already demonstrating individual personalities. Meerkats are very social animals and they are exploring the new area, interacting with the rest of the mob and generally causing mischief in the group!
“They spend a lot of time together foraging for tasty bugs and grubs, so we are spending time scattering food and encouraging the pups to investigate their new surroundings.”
Meerkats are native to southern Africa and can be found in the Kalahari Desert. They have adapted to living in very harsh conditions and climate, with little water, limited food and many predators. They have ears that can close in the event of a sandstorm and dark patches around their eyes lessen the desert glare like sunglasses.
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