Phoenix Zoo welcomes 3 new meerkats for Predator Passage habitat
Nov 18, 2024, 8:24 PM
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Zoo has welcomed three new meerkats into its family.
The zoo announced Thursday that 9-year-olds Joseph and Plymouth and 10-year-old Stabler made their way to the zoo’s Predator Passage habitat from Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
The male meerkats are available for viewing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Meerkats originate from southern Africa and are small, omnivorous creatures of the mongoose family and are not a member of the cat family.
They primarily live in desert-like climates similar to Arizona (in addition to grasslands) and eat beetles, caterpillars, spiders, scorpions and fruits and vegetables.
They receive most of the water they need through their diet and do not need to drink extra water.
These animals primarily live in large colonies and are territorial.
They are not considered a threatened or endangered species and usually to live up to 15 years.
The Meerkat species received the Hollywood spotlight by way of Timon in Disney’s 1994 animated feature film The Lion King.
RELATED STORIES
The zoo has welcomed a number of animals into its facility this year, including two lion cubs, a tamandua and baby goats.
Predator Passage debuted in 2023. The $8.5 million, six-acre expansion also includes the African Lion and Hyena Habitat, Amur Leopard Habitat, Red River Hog Habitat and Rüppell’s Griffon Vultures Habitat.
