World Cup fever reaches Bristol Zoo Gardens

World cup fever has spread to Bristol Zoo Gardens where the meerkats have been given footballs to play with.

Meerkats are inquisitive animals and footballs provide the perfect enrichment toy to play with. Keepers at Bristol Zoo are keen to show their support for the England team and are hoping that a win today will be ‘simples’.

Overseer of mammals, Matthew Webb, said: “Providing interesting and exciting enrichment toys is an important element of how we look after the animals and keep them stimulated.

Meerkats are naturally curious little animals so these footballs should keep them entertained for a while.”

The Zoo has recently welcomed four tiny new arrivals to the meerkat family. The four youngsters were born seven weeks ago and can often be seen out in their enclosure playing and foraging alongside the adults.

Matthew added: “We haven’t named the youngsters yet but if England do well we might name them after some of the stars of the team!”

Like the players in a football team, meerkats live in groups of up to 20 and work together, with each member taking on special duties for the benefit of the group as a whole.

Meerkats belong to the family of mongooses, but unlike mongooses, meerkats can only be found in Southern Africa, in places like the Kalahari Desert.

To watch the video of Bristol Zoo's meerkats 'playing' football, click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slrv9pS9wSc

For more information about Bristol Zoo, visit the website at www.bristolzoo.org.ukor phone 0117 974 7300.

ENDS

Lucy Parkinson, T: 0117 974 7306, or email: lparkinson@bristolzoo.org.uk
Vanessa Hollier, T: 0117 974 7309, email: vhollier@bristolzoo.org.uk

Notes to the Editor:

Bristol Zoo Gardens

• Bristol Zoo Gardens is an education and conservation charity and relies on the income from visitors to support its work. 
• Throughout 2010 Bristol Zoo will be running a series of events to highlight the importance of conserving the world’s biodiversity, as part of the international Year of Biodiversity. For more information visit the Zoo website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk/about/conservation/campaigns/iyob
• To find out more about the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity visit the website at www.biodiversityislife.net
• Bristol Zoo is open from 9am every day except Christmas Day. 
• The Zoo is involved with more than 100 co-ordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species. 
• Itemploys 140 full and part-time staff to care for the animals and run a successful visitor attraction to support its conservation and education work. 
• Bristol Zoo Gardens supports – through finance and skill sharing - 15 projects in the UK and abroad that conserveand protectsome of the world’s most endangered species.
• Bristol Zoo Gardens is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. BIAZA represents more than 90 member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.