For the first time in its 62-year history, Ljubljana Zoo has acquired meerkats, one of the most popular animal species.

The arrival of the meerkats at Ljubljana Zoo on Saturday 8 October 2011 delighted young and old alike.

The events heralding the meerkats’ arrival and the construction of their new enclosure (construction was enabled by KD Life Insurance plc) were enriched by numerous educational and fun workshops, where visitors were creative and got to know all about the lives of various animals. At a workshop called ‘Curious meerkats and their lives in tunnels’, they learned about meerkats, their nature and characteristics and details about their subterranean homes. In an adventure entitled ‘Savannah telescopes and don’t be prey but a hunter’, visitors found out about giraffes, antelopes, zebras, ostriches and their predators. Visitors were also able to stroke an African royal python and thus eliminate at least a little of their possible prejudice against these cold-blooded beauties. They were also able to make clay models of African wildlife and watch animals performing various tasks and feeding.

Meerkats live in packs in the savannah and semi-desert in Angola, Namibia, the Kalahari desert and southern Botswana. They live in deep tunnels with a tunnel network having up to 16 entrances and exits. Meerkats weigh up to 950 grams, grow to 30 centimetres long and live up to 10 years.

The best-known meerkat Timon, from the film the Lion King had the life motto ‘Hakuna matata’ – there are no worries. And a life without worries is everybody’s wish for the new meerkats at Ljubljana Zoo.

A short film about the meerkats at Ljubljana Zoo can be found at the following link.