Young meerkats are born blind and sparsely furred. The mother suckles her young in a sitting position and the babies at Marwell continue to do so. Now they are exploring the meerkat enclosure and getting to know the other meerkats in the group. There are five adults in addition to the kits. The meerkat enclosure at Marwell has recently been redesigned with two large mounds of sand.
Meerkats enjoy burrowing and digging tunnels.
Meerkats, a member of the mongoose family, are sociable animals, living in groups. They inhabit open ground or scrubland in southern Africa. One animal is always on guard duty for possible predators.