Fota Wildlife Park welcomes first meerkat babies in a decade

Thu, 26 Oct, 2023 - 11:45

Amy Campbell

Fota Wildlife Park has unveiled three Meerkat babies who were born on September 19, the first meerkats born there since March 2013.

They were born to mum Biggy, who was born on St Patricks Day in 2021, and came to Fota Wildlife Park with two other females in May 2023 from the Netherlands, while dad Snaggle came from Ardmore Open Farm to Fota in July 2021.

Meerkats are a social and curious animal that live underground in groups called mobs, gangs, or clans, and the Fota meerkats share a habitat with the Colobus monkeys, located just inside the park's main entrance.

Babies are born mostly hairless and unable to see or hear, generally opening their eyes after two weeks and start to eat food other than milk a week later.

Lead Ranger, Teresa Power said: “We were delighted to spot the babies out and about last month, they are so active in their habitat.

“We do not know yet whether the babies are male or female, as they are being well guarded by the other members of the mob and will immediately run underground and hide in one of the many tunnels if they feel unsure about anything.

“However, they are being trained by our Rangers to come out for food when called and we plan to develop this further as they grow older, as part of Fota’s training and enrichment programme.

“The babies also have access to an indoor heated house and can sometimes be seen through the viewing windows as they pop in and out of this area of their exhibit."

She added: “They have become one of the highlights of our Rangers’ day with their highly amusing antics as they try to copy the more grown-up Meerkat activities, such as digging and alarm calling.”

Fota Wildlife Park are now calling on the public to help name the three babies at www.fotawildlife.ie/news, and to be in with a chance of winning one of three Conservation Annual Passes.

The park celebrated its 40th anniversary this June with a season of events and activities, including some this month for Halloween, details of which can be found on their website.