Despite being the oldest zoo in Florida, this is actually the first time that the zoological park has had meerkats born within its walls. Back in February 2012, a female meerkat named Yam Yam was transferred from Busch Gardens to Zoo Miami. In June 2018, Yam Yam finally had company when the zoo took in 3 male meerkats from the Brevard Zoo. 

Altogether, the 4 meerkats live in a single enclosure where they live as one family. And on the 18th of January this year, Yam Yam gave birth to two lovely baby meerkats. One of the three male meerkats could be the father and only DNA tests could verify which one is the biological father. Amazingly, Yam Yam and the other three male meerkats are working cooperatively to raise the newborn pups. Just like any other newborn animals, baby meerkats solely rely on their parents because they are born blind and helpless. Meerkats have a reputation of being a good guardian to their young. In the wild, meerkats live in groups where every member has specific role to perform. 

Some of the basic tasks include hunting for food, digging tunnels for home, taking care of infants, and serving as lookouts to guard their tunnel homes. But they don’t just stick to one role. They typically go on rotation so everyone gets to experience all these tasks. Their natural instinct of taking care of their pups can be passed on even to those that are not living in the wild. Meerkats living in the zoo, for example, are deprived to exercise their instincts. They won’t need to forage for food because the staff feeds them. 

They can’t dig their own tunnels either because they are provided with a comfortable home to begin with. But all these things don’t completely eradicate their innate behaviors. And their wild instincts still manifest from time to time.
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