Filed under: Travel News
Rex
Gorgeous baby meerkats have been born at the
Zoodoo Wildlife Park in Richmond,
Tasmania.
The four pups were born to the zoo's resident meerkat colony with all nine adults taking part in caring for the youngsters.
The babies entered the world 13 days ago, and are the first African Kalahari native desert animals born in Tasmania, according to
The Mercury.
Rex
Zoodoo owner Trevor Cuttriss told Rex Features: "They're a very tight knit family - they all care for them."
The meerkat, or suricate, is a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family.
In the wild, meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa.
Rex
A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan". A meerkat clan often contains about 20 meerkats, but some super-families have 50 or more members.
In captivity, meerkats have an average life span of 12-14 years, and about half this in the wild.
Rex
These new arrivals will spend most of the next few weeks below ground before venturing out into the big wide world.
Cute, or what?
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<p>
These babies, named Sri Kandi (left) and Arjuna (right) were born at Tierpark, Berlin, Germany. They made their debut on 5 March 2012.</p>
- Asian Orang utan
<p>
Clinging to his mum, baby Changi meets his public for the first time at Krefeld Zoo, Germany.</p>
- White rhino
<p>
This little rhino, named Male, was born in January. He's pictured here with his mother, Mana, at Magdeburg Zoo, Germany.</p>
- Dingo puppies
<p>
The zoo at Tierpark in Berlin celebrated the birth of a litter of four dingo babies in January.</p>
- Shy baby giraffe
<p>
Only a few days old, this baby giraffe, named Kimarle, peaks out from her enclosure at the ZOOM Zoo in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany. The 170cm tall giraffe was born on March 9.</p>
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<p>
A one-month-old baby squirrel monkey clings to its mother's back at Qingdao Forest Wildlife Park, China.</p>
- Gorilla and mum
<p>
A two-week old baby gorilla is cuddled by her mum, Mumba, a Western Lowland Gorilla, at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near Ashford, Kent.</p>
- Tiny hedgehog
<p>
Born at Cincinnati Zoo, US, this one-month old hedgehog is being hand reared by keepers until it is old enough to be included in the zoo's outreach programme.</p>
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<p>
Ludwig the baby elephant is clearly happy to be out and about at the Tierpark Hellabrunn Zoo, Munich.</p>
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<p>
These cuties were born in February at Bristol Zoo Gardens.</p>
- Polar bear cub
<p>
This cub was born prematurely at Toronto Zoo. His mum rejected him soon after he was born, so he was cared for by staff at the zoo. Here he is making his debut in February.</p>
- Baby gorilla, Dublin Zoo
<p>
This six-month old baby Western Lowland Gorilla is seen here enjoying the spring sunshine with her mother at Dublin Zoo.</p>