A meerkat recently delivered a pup that made its first public appearance in an Austrian zoo.
The meerkat mom, named Zuzu, gave birth at the Tiergarten Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna. She become a mother for the third time on July 25.
The newborn, whose sex is still unknown, weighted about 0.06 lbs and was blind and completely helpless at birth. But the zoo reports it has developed well and joined the rest of its seven family members in the outdoor enclosure.
The pup has a distinct advantage growing up, said zookeeper Nadine Brauer. It has access to all of its mother's milk, since it was born alone.
“In addition, as an only child, it enjoys everyone's complete attention. Older sister Chimara likes to look after the little one and play with it as well,” she said.
The single birth in Zuzu's underground cave is rare. There are usually two to four animals in a litter. Meerkats are members of the mongoose family. All gather food, watch for predators and take care of babies.
Meerkats feed on beetles and lepidopterans, though they also include amphibians, arthropods, small birds, reptiles and plant material in their diet. They are listed as a least-concern species by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, are small predators native to the savannas and semi-deserts in Southern Africa.
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Vienna, Austria
August 26, 2021
(Tiergarten Schonbrunn)
#CuteAnimals #Baby #Meerkat
