New Meerkat at Howletts Zoo

We went for a day out at Howletts and thought that at least one of the meerkats should get some practise at spotting predators!



Predator? Hmmm, not sure, he's certainly very interested!



I don't think he's likely to eat a meerkat.



Definitely not a predator - this rhino is a statue!



Snakes eat meerkats :-(




Snow leopards might eat meerkats :-(



Another statue, don't be scared!



Etana the baby elephant was born just before Christmas, and still needs to suckle frequently.







Howletts Mansion looks just like home...not!

I have mixed feelings about zoos. Howletts has a great reputation for captive breeding, and for sending animals back into the wild. Many of their animals are in huge enclosures - so big in fact that you often hear people moaning they can't see any animals!

So - as a zoo, it's a good one, I think. And if it wasn't for zoos like Howletts maybe we'd have even more extinct species? But it's a shame they're necessary.