Fota Wildlife Park has announced the birth of two meerkat pups amid the venue’s ongoing closure.
Fota Wildlife Park director Aileen Tennant said that resident meerkats Biggy and Snaggle, who are the dominant breeding pair of the clan, welcomed two new additions to their family late last week.
“While the gates of Fota Wildlife Park remain temporarily closed to the public, I’m very happy to report that life goes on here in the park,” said Ms Tennant.
“The two baby meerkats, born on October 16, are absolutely thriving and are already actively exploring their habitat.”
The news of the pups’ arrival comes during a tumultuous time for the facility, which confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu last month.
As a result of the outbreak, the park had to euthanise 73 birds at the start of November.
“I want to reassure the public that the welfare of the animals in our care is always our team’s top priority,” said Ms Tennant.
“Our expert staff remain fully committed to our conservation breeding programmes for rare and endangered species, with dedicated animal care ongoing behind closed doors.”