Dudley Zoological Gardens MEERKAT BIRTHS

adrian1963

adrian1963

Well-Known Member
After all the heartache over the last few weeks I can bring a bit of good news to the place
While on my visit today I noticed the Meerkats all huddled together at the base of the rocks and as the goup of school children left to my surprise there were 4 new pups./
I asked a keeper how old they were and she said at the very most they had to be 2 days old as the mother had gone to ground on Wednesday afternoon
I have sent 3 photographs off to the zoo and I have posted a few on the Dudley Gallery
Hope you enjoy
 
Although I'm very excited to see them, is this ok for them to be out so young? They look tiny, shouldn't they be underground?
Even if they can physically get out, Dudley has loads of rats, mice, and birds that could be a danger to them.
 
As I have already replied to a similar question in the galleries Iwill also answer this The last few births the pups have been seen very early and then they seem to disapear into the ground and reappear in a week or so time. This as not harmed any of the pups from the last few births so I wouldn't be alarmed at this behaviour.
I also see your point about the predators around the main problem I can see is the same for the Adults and that is the Buzzards, Kestrels and Sparrow Hawks that are always over the zoo.
 
These baby meerkats must be in addition to the 4 babies I saw earlier this Summer at the Wake up the Zoo event. I read that one baby was taken by a crow but then dropped in wallaby walk-through and was then being hand reared. Which litter was this baby from and does anyone know if it will go back in with the mob?
 
These are from the latest birth on Wed or Thurs 14/15 July the ones born earlier in the year are doing fine, by the time i left all fou had been taken back into the ground hole by the adults so all were fine.
 
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