Zoo Keepers Save Orphaned Baby Meerkat at Chessington World of Adventures Resort
May 21, 2013
Meet baby Lila. Zoo Keepers at the UK's Chessington World of Adventures Resort have taken the tiny Meerkat under their wing, after she was rejected by her mother. Just 22 days old and weighing 119 grams, the equivalent weight of half a stick of butter, Lila is receiving round the clock attention.
Keeper Gemma Anscomb has taken on the challenge of being the main caregiver for Lila, with duties including milk-feeding every two hours and lots of cuddles. Anscomb said, “Little Lila was sadly abandoned by her mummy. This often happens in the wild. If the parents feel that the family group is getting too large, they will often seek out the weakest of the group and reject them from it. We closely monitored the group following Lila’s birth and when we saw something wasn’t quite right, we stepped in. I’m delighted to say she is doing really well.”
Photo Credit: Chessington World of Adventures Resort
“We’re all so pleased to see that little Lila is developing by the day and are looking forward to introducing her to her new family in the Wanyama Village very soon,” Anscomb added. She may be small but she’s a little fighter and has proven quite a character already! She loves nothing more than snuggling up to her Mumma Duck cuddly toy and getting lots of attention from her keepers.”
Lila has begun a program of meeting her fellow Meerkat playmates, where she’s learning behaviors from them and developing her natural instincts. She will also begin to try some solid food. Lila will make her public debut this Saturday, May 25.