Two tiny cute baby Meerkats are now on show to the general public at Twycross Zoo. The pups were born on 27^th April 2008 and their parents Tallula and Timmy are keeping a watchful eye on the new arrivals.

The meerkat is a type of mongoose. It has a long banded body and short legs. It has a slender black-tipped tail, pointed face and black patches around both eyes and lives on the dry open plains and scrub of southern AfricThe word meerkat is a South African Dutch word, which means 'lake cat' as they are often found near stretches of water. Meerkats stand upright in the early morning sun to warm up, sniffing the wind to check out their surroundings.

They take communal living very seriously indeed and each member of the pack has a specific task. Meerkats are widely regarded as the darlings of the animal kingdom; they look incredibly cute and are remarkably social, living in large groups which work together to survive. Some stand on sentry duty, finding a convenient vantage point where they can watch for predators, such as eagles. If any danger is sighted, the sentry will give a warning bark, then all the meerkats will flee to the safety of their burrows.

While the sentries keep watch, the other meerkats take care of the very young and supervise the older members of the playgroup. Those meerkats that aren’t on duty can take a nap in the shade, or rest in a cool underground burrow to escape the midday heat. When meerkats meet a predator on the ground, these plucky little animals immediately huddle together. This show of strength often drives the attacker away. They have a very high immunity to venom and stings, which is just as well because they like to eat snakes and scorpions! Meerkats have a clever way of dealing with scorpions by nipping off the sting before eating the body.

They also feed on insects, birds, roots and fruit. Meerkats are extremely industrious and in a single morning may dig several hundred holes in search of food, moving about 50 times their own bulk in sand. They can close their black ears when digging to keep the sand out.