mc_squared Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Pictured: Tiny meerkat pups that fit into their keeper's hand By Mail Foreign Service Last updated at 4:41 PM on 20th February 2009 Comments (7) Add to My Stories This pair of quivering meerkat pups are so small that they easily fit into the palm of their keeper's hand. And though they are only 28-days old, brother and sister Zanzibar and Nairobi are already a huge hit with visitors to Taronga Zoo, in Sydney. They are the latest additions to the site's meerkat manor - and are the first pups to be born there for nine years. Enlarge Supercute: Zanzibar and Nairobi are now four weeks old and are the first meerkat pups to be born at the Taronga Zoo, in Sydney, in nine years Meerkat keeper Bobby-Jo Vial said: 'I'm extremely thrilled, I'm over the moon, I've been waiting for this for quite a long time now. 'They make me very clucky - Mamma Meerkat, that's me. 'They're already eating solid foods and displaying behaviours similar to adults. They're very precocious.' Enlarge Thriving: Both babies are doing well according to their keeper Nairobi and her brother Zanzibar are part of nine-strong family at the zoo and weighed around 40 grams at birth. They will weigh about one kilogram (2.2lb) when fully grown. The pups still spend most of their day living underground in extensive burrows so visitors have to patiently wait to spot them. Enlarge Making friends: One of the pups licks keeper Bobby-Jo Vial's nose Enlarge Feeding time: The pups snack on some tasty grubs 'Over the next two weeks they should start emerging from their indoor area so we really want to encourage visitors to just be patient as they're learning how to come out out,' Miss Vial said. 'We leave them with access to that safe area because being in Sydney, we have large aerial predators about and exhibit's quite open. 'Meerkats have to be doing exactly what they do in the wild - they have to be on guard, so we give them that option that they can run into their safe place.' Feather-weight: Both pups weigh 184 grams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonsu Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Babies of already small animals are even smaller - is this news? What next - 'The Sun is Discovered to be Hot'? 'Apparently George W. Bush is no longer President of the USA' or perhaps the rather scandalous but nevertheless quite amazing 'Scientists Discover that Grass is Green'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Compare the Meerkats, listen your jingle, listen mine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saffire Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Timon! Where's Pumba? Here's another cute picture: http://www.indyzoo.com/pdf/DolphinDog-PaulRiley.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Babies of already small animals are even smaller - is this news? What next - 'The Sun is Discovered to be Hot'? 'Apparently George W. Bush is no longer President of the USA' or perhaps the rather scandalous but nevertheless quite amazing 'Scientists Discover that Grass is Green'? As there isn't a "Science & Nature" section on here, "News" is the only place for it. Anyway, for FYI, it's called a "human interest" story.;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonsu Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 ^ Was just jesting, shame you didn't spot the humour ;) Actually loved the piccies of those little bubbas, and always been a fan of meerkats. Nairobi is also a special place that means a lot to me, as it's where my grandfather who I never met is buried. I have a mission to go there to retrieve his remains once I'm sure it's safe enough to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 ^ Was just jesting, shame you didn't spot the humour ;) Well after your vitriolic outburst in the "Coldplay are Pop" thread, that's hardly surprising.;) Actually loved the piccies of those little bubbas, and always been a fan of meerkats. Nairobi is also a special place that means a lot to me, as it's where my grandfather who I never met is buried. I have a mission to go there to retrieve his remains once I'm sure it's safe enough to do so. Fair enough. I love the way Meerkats interact and socialise. Did you watch "Meerkat Manor"?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonsu Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Vitriolic outburst? Lol. You know full well why I reacted like that, and if you troll me again in future I'll react the very same way. Let's leave that then there, unless you insist on carrying this on. Putting hostilities aside from my side, then, yes I have that film on video, it's fantastic :) The way they interact and socialise is amazing, extremely uplifting, and just so cute. I appreciated this story being posted here and was just messing around with my initial response. I have a dry sense of humour that is usually pretty obvious to most people, and I saw a joke here I couldn't resist :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Vitriolic outburst? Lol. You know full well why I reacted like that, and if you troll me again in future I'll react the very same way. Let's leave that then there, unless you insist on carrying this on. As I've said before, there is no excuse for getting "personal". If anything, that's a trollish thing to do.;) If you go around making erroneous statements about Coldplay on here you have to expect a reaction.;) Putting hostilities aside from my side, then, yes I have that film on video, it's fantastic :) The way they interact and socialise is amazing, extremely uplifting, and just so cute. I appreciated this story being posted here and was just messing around with my initial response. I have a dry sense of humour that is usually pretty obvious to most people, and I saw a joke here I couldn't resist :P It's very difficult to tell on here, especially when there has been totally unnecessary "hostility" on previous occasions.;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonsu Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 ^ Well then drop it, it's up to you. I'm more than happy to continue if you won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 ^ Well then drop it, it's up to you. I'm more than happy to continue if you won't. I'm more than happy to let sleeping dogs lie.;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonsu Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Fine then, goodnight:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobalt Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 They're so cuuuuuuuuuuuute! :heart: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MK Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I loooove meerkats!!! They're soooo intelligent and organised... And these little ones are really, really cute! :heart: And I've been watching "Meerkat Manor" for a few weeks last year... I really loved it! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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