New offspring among the meerkats
Meerkats are very sociable animals that can live in colonies of up to 40 individuals in the wild. At Chemnitz Zoo, the group has now grown to a total of 14 animals. After the meerkats at the zoo gave birth at the beginning of April, the second litter of the year followed in mid-July.
The keepers discovered the young animals in their litter box for the first time in mid-July. Like most carnivores, meerkats are nest-builders. This means that they only leave the protective den in which they were born after a certain period of time. Meerkats also have their eyes and ears closed at birth. These only open after around two weeks.
In the meantime, the youngsters are busy exploring the enclosure - always under the watchful eyes of the family members. All the animals in the colony are involved in rearing the youngest offspring. The young also retreat to one of the caves for a break, where they are still suckled by their mother. The best chance of seeing the whole family is in the morning shortly after the zoo opens, when it is still a little cooler.
www.tierpark-chemnitz.de
Opening hours in summer:
Zoo: 9 am to 7 pm, last admission 6 pm
Game enclosure: 8 am to 6 pm, last admission 5 pm