Exciting news - dwarf mongoose pups have been born at ZSL London Zoo!
The four already adventurous youngsters have been nicknamed Jill, Mary, Tom and Andy by keepers, after characters in Enid Blyton’s famous books. They've been playing outside in the sunshine with the rest of the family, under the watchful eye of mum Norma.
“Norma is a great mum and after three previous litters definitely knows what’s best for her little ones,” explains ZSL London Zoo keeper Tara Humphrey.
“But for a few days after they were born, no sooner had she retrieved one pup from overenthusiastic uncle Fester, another would be taken for a trot by dad Gulad, leading Norma to finally lay down the law and give everyone a bit of a well-deserved verbal ticking off!”
Born on Monday 9 March after a 56-day pregnancy, the two-inch long as yet unsexed youngsters live in the Zoo’s Land of the Lions exhibit, alongside a pride of Critically Endangered Asiatic lions and a family of Hanuman langur monkeys: the exhibit is designed to tell the story of the last wild population of the big cats, in Gujarat, India - with the mongoose resident in a replica railway station master’s office.
Nestled in the heart of leafy Regent’s Park, ZSL London Zoo is a space of inspiration and learning, but is currently closed to visitors.