At the UK's Dudley Zoological Gardens, three tiny Meerkat pups have been spotted exploring their surroundings, after opening their eyes for the first time this week. The triplets were born in one of the underground burrows around three weeks ago and made their public debut yesterday to join DZG's eight-strong mob of adults. A child's pacifier was dropped into the Meerkat enclosure and quickly picked up by their mother and brought over to the young pups!

Photo credit: Dudley Zoological Gardens

Newborn Meerkats are unable to open their eyes for around two weeks and stay close to the burrows, usually with an adult meerkat who has been chosen as the group's babysitter. Keepers will have to wait until the babies are eight weeks old to discover their sex.

This little Bornean Orangutan, born six weeks ago, made her debut to the public late last week when mom Jazz brought her into the viewing area of the great ape house at Dudley Zoological Gardens. Jazz held her tiny baby close in her arms and could be seen patting Sprout's back as visitors looked on.

Sprout had been nurtured in a quiet, private area since her birth - until Thursday.  Keeper David Zebedee said of Jazz, ”She’s now doing the proud mum bit and showing Sprout to visitors."

Sprout weighs approximately four pounds (1.81 kilos), but she’s growing fast. Once weaned (at approximately eight to 12 months), she can begin to add solids to her diet along with mothers milk, which she'll continue until she's three.

Photo Credit courtesy of Dudley Zoological Gardens

David added, “She’s a beautiful baby, and very special too, as the species is so endangered in the wild.” Bornean orangutans only give birth every eight years, adding to the species endangerment caused by the pet trade and habitat loss due to logging and the palm oil business. Not long ago it was thought there was only one species of orangutan, but genetic research found that there are two - Bornean and Sumatran. Both live in Southeast Asia.

Bird keepers at the UK's Dudley Zoological Gardens celebrated the royal engagement by naming two rare baby penguins after William and Kate. Humboldt Penguins live on South America's rocky Pacific coastswhere they burrow homes within mountains of accumulated guano (but we're confident the Zoo meant no disrespect!). Vulnerable to extinction in the wild due to over-fishing and ocean acidification, Humboldt Penguins are protected by the US Endangered Species Act. Dudley Zoo's colony of 60 Humboldt Penguins is the UK's largest. 

By royal appointment: Dudley Zoological Gardens Keeper Sam Grove with the rare Humboldt chicks born this week staff at the Midlands tourist attraction have named William and Kate.