Animal Encounters

What do you get for the person that has everything for their 50th birthday?  Well, my lovely daughter, Rachel, bought me the chance to 'Meet the Merkats' at Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire.  For my part, all I had to do was check that my Tetanus jabs were up to date, wear old clothes, and just turn up.

I was expecting to meet hordes of Meerkats ('Meerkat Manor' has a lot to answer for!), but in the first of the two enclosures I entered, there were just two Meerkats - Leo and Gemini.  Before climbing over the wall to join them, I was handed a bowl containing an assortment of choppped fruit and their favourite - chopped spam and chicken roll!  I sat on a log with my legs outstretched and the Meerkats used them as a ladder to reach their dinner. 

They both had a good rummage in the bowl to pick out all the meat, declining all offers of fruit, depite being told of the benefits of eating 'five a day'.

In the second enclosure, there were three Meerkats who were less nervous than the first group, and allowed me to stroke them, while stuffing their faces.  They too picked out all the spam and chicken roll first and then ate the fruit - but only after they had rolled it on the floor to 'kill' it!

This trio were quite curious and had a good nose inside my jacket.  Every now and then - well it was a cold day and they do hail from South Africa - they ran over to their heatlamp and did a bit of sunbathing!

Sadly, I was told that this group had just lost a female after she gave birth to two pups, but they were too little to come outside and meet visitors just yet.

Despite having fallen in love with these endearing creatures, and having been asked by my son to bring one home, I climbed out of the enclosure, covered in wet sand, raspberry and blackcurrant juice, but with my pockets empty. 

Having met the Meerkats, I was handed a Certificate to mark the occasion (my husband has always said I should be certified!), and having been there and done that, I also got the T-shirt!

For more information on Meerkats click here

Having thoroughly enjoyed this very memorable present, my husband and I spent the next few hours getting up close and personal with lots more beautiful animals, who live in this well designed park, with large enclosures, plenty of enrichment and the best food on tap.  The collection of cats at Paradise Wildlife Park is particularly impressive.