The Bedford Estates, LondonWoburn Safari Park is delighted to announce that the Desert Springs habitat has two new adorable residents!
Proud parents, Pansy and Brendan, welcomed twin meerkat pups earlier this month. As the dominant pair, Pansy and Brendan have successfully raised multiple litters together, and now their grown-up pups will lend a paw in caring for the newest additions to the mob.
Finnigan, the pups' older brother, has already given a helping ‘paw’ to the little pups, as keepers have noted seeing him protectively cradle the twins and stay close by their sides.
The twins stuck close together during their first few weeks, investigating the meerkat house and spending important bonding time with mum Pansy.
The tiny twins are now beginning to explore their surroundings, venturing out of the meerkat house and into the main enclosure with the rest of the mob. For now, the pups remain close with the older meerkats as they build up their confidence in their specially designed sandy habitat. With the support of the entire meerkat family, these little ones are sure to settle in quickly.
The pups are still nursing and won’t start eating the same diet as the rest of the mob until they’re fully weaned at around 8 weeks old. During this time, they’ll be learning vital social skills and natural behaviours from the older meerkats, such as play, communication, foraging, burrowing, and grooming.
Visitors can catch a glimpse of these playful pups in Desert Springs, a sandy sanctuary designed to mimic their natural habitat.
Keep your eyes peeled for the twins as they begin to show off their newfound social skills!