KEEPERS at Colchester Zoo have said they are delighted by the arrival of twin meerkats.

KEEPERS at Colchester Zoo have said they are delighted by the arrival of twin meerkats.

The babies have been born into the larger of the two meerkat “mobs” to Tabbi, a two-year-old meerkat who started life at the zoo.

Staff said the birth date of the meerkat twins is not exactly known because they were born in the burrow, just as they would be in the wild.

The keepers believe they were born in the final few days of last month because behavioral changes were observed in the other meerkats.

However they were not seen by keepers until April 10 when one of the babies peered out of the burrow for the first time.

During the past week their confidence has grown and they now spend long periods out in the enclosure with the rest of the mob.

They are currently about 6” tall and already proving to be a big hit with lucky visitors who have been able to spot them.

Anthony Tropeano, zoo director, said: “The birth of the twins comes as particularly good news as Tabbi and Dande, the other female in the mob, have only recently moved in to join the males for breeding.

“The meerkat is not yet classified as an endangered species, but the expansion of the Kalahari Desert due to desertification could change this in the near future.”