This breeding pair lived in a high sided wooden box, 2 foot by 2 foot, on a concrete floor in an unlit draughty barn. The bed was wet and thick with excrement. The water bottle so dirty it was not obvious there was any water in it. A breeder had these wild creatures purely as a money-making scheme, continuously breeding in order to fulfil orders from the general public for a “pet” Meerkat. Every time the mum birthed; within 6 weeks the young pups were removed. The life they were forced to live was bad enough but the constant giving birth and then removal of her pups is an act of cruelty beyond words. Animals, that are kept in appalling conditions, and removed from the wild life they were destined for often develop dysfunctional behaviours and become aggressive or withdrawn. These Meerkat parents would lick the pup’s ears so much that they licked them off.
The parents came to WildSide and although we do not breed here, we made an exception and the pair had a litter of pups that this time were not removed and to this day remain highly bonded with their parents.
