Exciting Pup-Date: First Ever Meerkat Babies Born At Tapnell

Friday, 13 May 2022 11:35

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

Tapnell Farm Park keepers have announced two adorable additions to their family with the birth of the park's first ever meerkat pups.

Slender-tailed meerkats Kolo and Doto's pups emerged from their nest a few days ago, but the keepers have been keeping close watch via a camera and believe the pups to be a few weeks old now.

Tapnell Farm Park has been experiencing a bit of a baby boom in recent weeks, with chicks born at Easter, harvest mice pups and two Joeys in the wallaby walkabout.

Meerkat pups spend the first 3 weeks hidden away in the nest being tended to by their parents.

For meerkats to become a breeding pair, there must be a strong bond between the two before they mate.

The pregnancy lasts about 70-77 days. At birth, the pups are blind and deaf, and fully depend on their parents for ten days.

Then after a few weeks, they begin to explore the world, and will be taught by their parents how to hunt and forage for their food.

A spokesperson for Tapnell said:

"Although our meerkat pups are looking healthy and will soon be thoroughly checked over by our local vets, the pups are not out of the woods just yet, with them being so young and vulnerable."

The keepers are happy with their progress and keeping everything crossed for these little ones.

Visitors to Tapnell Farm Park may be lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the pups, but keepers can't guarantee when they will be visible.

More from Animals

Top Tips: Keep Your Pets Safe this Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night is just around the corner. A night of fireworks and celebrations, it's fun for us, but not always for our pets.
Ten Ways to Help Hedgehogs

To celebrate its 10th birthday, nationwide campaign, Hedgehog Street, is asking members of the public to do 10 things to help hedgehogs throughout 2021. The campaign launched by wildlife charities People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) aims to encourage people to make their gardens more hedgehog friendly, in order to help stop the ongoing decline of Britain’s favourite mammal.
Hedgehogs on roads: new review assesses problems and solutions

A new review outlining the impact of road mortality on native European hedgehogs has been published in the online scientific journal Animals.
Critically endangered eel found in Wightlink’s Lymington oyster nursery

Wightlink’s oyster nurseries are already proving a haven for rare marine wildlife.
Wildlife charity launches Living with Mammals survey this autumn

Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is, for the first time, running its Living with Mammals survey during autumn, from Monday 31st August until Sunday 29th November.
The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2021

The UK’s biggest citizen science project has been recording the winners and losers in the garden bird world for over four decades with the help of half a million people, and now the RSPB is counting on Island residents to join in too.
Natural Living: A Flock of Long-Tailed Tits

A flock of wheeling long-tailed tits capture this author's imagination as she takes a stroll in the countryside
Natural Living: The Sparrowhawk on the Isle of Wight

Sparrowhawks are now fairly common throughout the country and more of us can enjoy the breathtaking sight of these spectacular, small birds of prey.

Exciting Pup-Date: First Ever Meerkat Babies Born At Tapnell

Share

More from Animals

Get Social