THESE cuddly new arrivals have helped swell populations of the hugely popular meerkats at Knowsley Safari Park.
The tiny mammals have recently shot up the attraction’s popularity charts thanks to the antics of Aleksandr, star of a current TV commercial, and programmes like Meerkat Manor.
The meerkats are now even challenging Knowsley’s infamous baboons in popularity, according to the park’s management.
There are now two separate breeding groups who have produced nine pups, or kits, between them in recent weeks, increasing the Knowsley mob to 26.
Safari Park general manager, David Ross, said: “Our visitors are exhibiting all the signs of meerkat mania at the moment – you can frequently see groups of people standing by their enclosure singing along to the Compare the Meerkat jingle.
“We’ve also got children asking our keepers which meerkat is Aleksandr, and visitors of all ages are doing impressions of him in that strange Eastern European type accent.”
