Double-delight as meerkets born at zoo.

KEEPERS at Colchester Zoo are celebrating the arrival of two meerkat “pups” to first time mum Pippa.

There are now six meerkats in the zoo's Suricata Sands enclosure and the new arrivals were initially well hidden by their mum and were only discovered during the keeper's daily cleaning routine.

A spokeswoman said: “The pups have been growing well and they can now often be seen venturing out of their den to explore their new enclosure in the valley zone closely followed by mum.”

Meerkats can be found in several parts of South Africa and with excellent teamwork and cooperation they can live in colonies averaging 24 members but sometimes reaching up to 30.