Fota Wildlife Park is asking the public for help naming the first Meerkat babies the park has welcomed in over a decade.

The three pups were born to mother Biggy and father Snaggle on September 19th.

Biggy was born on St Patrick’s Day in 2021 and was one of three females to come to Fota from DierenPark Amersfoort in the Netherlands last May

Snaggle came from Ardmore Open Farm to Fota Wildlife Park in July 2021 and is almost eight years old.

Fota’s newest Meerkat babies. Image: Darragh Kane

All three females have settled in well with Snaggle to form a new breeding group in the habitat they share with the Colobus monkeys, located just inside the main entrance to the park.

Lead Ranger Teresa Power said staff were “delighted to spot the babies out and about last month”

“They are so active in their habitat,” she said.

“We don’t know yet whether the babies are male or female, as they are being well guarded by the other members of the mob and will immediately run underground and hide in one of the many tunnels they call home if they feel at all unsure about anything.”

Fota’s newest Meerkat babies and mother. Image: Darragh Kane

Ms Power said Fota rangers are training them to come out for food when called and staff “plan to develop this further as they grow older”.

“The babies also have access to an indoor heated house and can sometimes be seen through the viewing windows as they pop in and out of this area of their exhibit,” she said.

“They have become one of the highlights of our Rangers’ day with their highly amusing antics as they try to copy the more grown-up Meerkat activities, such as digging and alarm calling.

“Already they have been observed eating meat and mealworms which are the main parts of their diet.”

Fota’s newest Meerkat babies. Image: Darragh Kane

The Meerkat is a smaller member of the Mongoose family.

Measuring up to 35cm in length and weighing up to 730g, it has four long, strong claws on each paw to aid with burrowing and likes to stand on its hind legs from high vantage points when possible.

The Meerkat is a social and curious animal that lives underground in groups called mobs, gangs, or clans.

Much of its time is spent digging and foraging for food including insects, roots, eggs, small reptiles, and scorpions – the Meerkat, unlike humans, is immune to the scorpion's poison.

Meerkats share the job of looking after their young. When born, the pups are mostly hairless and cannot see or hear. They generally open their eyes after two weeks and start to eat food other than milk a week later.

Fota’s newest Meerkat family. Image: Darragh Kane

Fota is calling on the public to name the new cubs at www.fotawildlife.ie three Conservation Annual Passes up for grabs for anyone whose name is chosen.

The last set of Meerkat babies was born in Fota in March 2013.