Editor:
Presscouncil City of Chemnitz
Pressrelease: 356

Offspring among the meerkats at Chemnitz Zoo

Show feeding of white-faced sakis - daily 11.30 a.m.

Das Bild zeigt 3 Erdmännchen. Ein ausgewachsenes Erdmännchen und zwei Nachwuchs-Erdmännchen. Alles Erdmännchen befinden sich auf einem großen Stein. Alle Erdmännchen haben flauschiges braunes Fell, kleine runde Ohren, schwarze gruße Augen und eine schwarze Nase, welche innen rosa ist. Das erwachsene Erdmännchen sitzt aufgrecht und schaut in Richtung Kamera. Die Vorderpfoten hält es an seinem Bauch. Links neben dem Erdmännchen liegen die zwei Jungtiere. Das eine Jungtier liegt schräg auf dem Stein, sodass man den kompletten Körper von der Seite sieht. Es schaut nach rechts. Das andere Rungtier schaut in Richtung der Kamera und lehnt auf dem anderen Jungtier. Der Hintergrund ist grau-bräunlich.
Erdmännchen im Tierpark Chemnitz Picture: Tierpark Chemnitz, Archiv

The meerkats at Chemnitz Zoo have had offspring. The young animals - probably two of them - were born in an underground burrow at the end of June. When suddenly none of the adult animals could be seen on the surface, the zookeepers were already hoping for offspring.

Since then, the young animals have been busy exploring the enclosure - always under the watchful eyes of the family members. The young are cared for not only by the mother, but also by the other group members.
From time to time, the young animals retreat into one of the caves, where they are still suckled by their mother.

This is the first offspring for the meerkat group, which was rebuilt after the old breeding male died of old age and the breeding female was given up.

Show feeding of the white-faced sakis

The white-faced sakis are fed daily at 11.30 a.m. in the Tropical House, either in the indoor or outdoor enclosure depending on the weather. The three animals moved into the former spider monkey enclosure in April and have now settled in well. The species had never been kept at Chemnitz Zoo before.

White-faced sakis are one of the few primates in which males and females look different. At birth, the young animals have the same grey-brown colour as their mother. This means they are well camouflaged on their backs. After about two months, the young males develop a white face mask and black hair on their bodies. The females remain grey-brown.

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