Group of meerkats die at UK wildlife park in ‘catastrophic turn of events’
A group of meerkats have died after a network of underground tunnels collapsed at a wildfire park in Leicestershire.
The Tropical Birdland in Desford called it a 'catastrophic turn of events' with rescuers only able to save one meerkat from the rubble.
‘Big Mama’, the mob's matriarch, had been leading the excavation of a fresh underground chamber to prepare for her next litter of pups.
However, the combination of heavy rainfall and the long heatwave compromised the soil structure and caused the tunnels to crumble.
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“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the news of the passing of our beloved Meerkats,” Tropical Birdland wrote on Facebook.
“Most of last week our matriarch 'Big Mama' had her mob digging out and preparing a fresh chamber underground, ready for the arrival of her next litter of pups.
“Big Mama was an experienced mother, having several litters over the years, and her mob were very well practiced in digging tunnels and chambers.
“After an unusually long heatwave, the ground was ideal for digging.
“In an unexpected and catastrophic turn of events, the sudden heavy rainfall after such a long hot dry spell compromised the structure of the tunnels causing them to collapse.
“Staff were able to locate where the Meerkats were underground and were able to rescue one member of the mob, but were heartbroken to find the rest of the group had passed away.”
They said the team are ‘regularly spending time with the surviving member of the group to comfort and monitor closely’.
“This has been an incredibly distressing and heartbreaking time for all the Team,” they added. “We thank you all for your continued support during this difficult and upsetting time.”
Commenting on the post, one person said: "I was there not long ago and saw the meerkats, they are stunning and I was planning on coming back to spend time feeding them. I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of them… it’s so heartbreaking. Thinking of all the team and the remaining meerkat at this sad time xxx."
Another added: "We visited yesterday and did wonder why there was only one meerkat. I hope the survivor continues to do well and sorry to learn of the sad news. We loved our visit yesterday- such a unique place!!"
"OMG that is so sad, they live as a group and the surviving one must be feeling so alone. Hopefully it can either be removed into another group or another group be bought in from elsewhere to be new family companions," a third wrote.
Tropical Birdland spans 6.5-acres, with their exotic bird sanctuary located on the northern outskirts of Desford village in Leicestershire.
Home to over 250 birds spanning various tropical and exotic species, it is widely celebrated for its highly interactive, free-flying environments where visitors can directly touch, feed, and handle tame parrots.
Beyond the free-roaming sections, the park features multi-species aviaries housing soft-billed species, toucans, and owls.
There’s also a dedicated room where visitors can peek at new hatchlings and look through incubator glass to see baby birds emerging from their eggs.
Anish Vij