Indianapolis Zoo welcomes tiny meerkat pups
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Indianapolis Zoo has some new members to the family and they’re topping the adorable charts.
Two tiny meerkat pups were born on Oct. 13 to first-time mom Rue. Officials say the babies are the first meerkats ever born at the Indianapolis Zoo.
The meerkat mob, or group, will remain in a private area until the babies are a little older. Officials say guests will likely be able to meet the pups later this fall.
The zoo provided some fun facts about meerkats:
- In the wild, meerkats give birth in underground burrows to help keep the newborns safe from predators. And there are plenty of those in their native home in Africa’s Kalahari Desert, including snakes, birds and jackals.
- To shield the pups from dust in their subterranean homes, meerkats are born with their eyes and ears closed. The Zoo’s newcomers opened their eyes for the first time on day 11.
- At birth, meerkats weigh only about an ounce. The newborns are also nearly hairless, though a light coat of silver and brown fur begins to fill in after just a few days.