VIDEO AND PHOTO GALLERY: Baby meerkats being hand-reared at Derbyshire family farm

These adorable baby meerkats are being hand-reared at a Derbyshire family farm after being abandoned by their mother.
Baby meerkats snuggle up to each other at Willow Tree Family Farm in Shirebrook.Baby meerkats snuggle up to each other at Willow Tree Family Farm in Shirebrook.
Baby meerkats snuggle up to each other at Willow Tree Family Farm in Shirebrook.

The pups are around two weeks old and are being looked after at Willow Tree Family Farm in Shirebrook.

Farm director David Anthony said: “Their mother disowned them after they were born a couple of weeks ago and left them out in the cold, so we had to intervene.

“We had to take them in hand or they would have died. In the wild there might be around 20 females in a meerkat group and they would all produce milk and all take a turn with childcare.

Baby meerkats snuggle up to each other at Willow Tree Family Farm in Shirebrook.Baby meerkats snuggle up to each other at Willow Tree Family Farm in Shirebrook.
Baby meerkats snuggle up to each other at Willow Tree Family Farm in Shirebrook.

“But we only have four meerkats in our group and the mother is the alpha female, so she’s abandoned them effectively to save her own position in the group.”

David said that he is currently feeding the pups through the night and hopes to slowly reintegrate them back into the group as they get bigger.

The farm, on Langwith Road, is open from 10am to 4.30pm each day.

For more information go to www.willowtree-farm.co.uk/.

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