 Patrick Bolger/Dublin Zoo Two
meerkat pups were born into a family of four (one male and three
females) in July at the Dublin Zoo. They've only just left their
burrows, as mom and dad kept them safely out of sight for the first
couple of months, according to a statement from the zoo. These
adorable meerkat pups were born in July at the Dublin Zoo, but have
only recently crawled out of their burrows to explore the wide world
outside. Check out more photos of these tiny mammals as they join Mom
and Dad for a romp in the sand.  Patrick Bolger/Dublin Zoo "We
are delighted with the arrival of the pups," Dublin Zoo team leader
Eddie O'Brien said in a statement. "We think the youngsters are female."
 Patrick Bolger/Dublin Zoo Parents
and relatives monitored the secret passages where the pups were hidden
and made noise at any signs of danger — a typical practice for meerkats,
who usually choose a guard to alert the colony should there be a
potential predator lurking around.  Patrick Bolger/Dublin Zoo "Both
pups are doing very well. They are still feeding from their mother and
recently they have also started eating solids," O'Brien added. "As
carnivores they eat meat and insects."  Patrick Bolger/Dublin Zoo Meerkats
belong to the mongoose family and live all over southern Africa,
including the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, the Namib Desert in Namibia,
southwestern Angola, and South Africa. |