Meerkats abandoned for sunbathing

The pups have recently started eating meat

Two meerkat pups at a Devon wildlife park are having to be hand-reared by humans because recent good weather has made their mother forget about them.

Meerkat mum Stump, who lives at the Shaldon Wildlife Trust, near Teignmouth, has been too busy sunbathing to look after her offspring.

Although Stump has had a previous litter which she fed without any problem, she decided this time to enjoy the good weather rather than feed her girls.

Staff say the pair are doing well and are incredibly active - the only time they are not squeaking is when they are asleep.

I think she relaxed so much that she just forgot Neil Vaughan, Shaldon Wildlife Trust Find out more at BBCi Devon

Normally native to the dry plains of southern Africa, meerkat means "watching cat" in Afrikaans.

The two pups were born six weeks ago and have proved to be a big draw at the site.

Neil Vaughan from the trust said of Stump's priorities: "Although all our meerkats were born in the UK, Stump must have thought she was in Africa.

"I think she relaxed so much that she just forgot she had to look after her babies.

"Over the last five weeks, they've been fed milk and we've had to get up quite early in the morning to give them seven or eight millilitres.

"This week, they've had their first taste of meat, which has been quite exciting, because we've seen the way they naturally behave.

"They get quite aggressive with each other while trying to eat the meat paste.

"People love to come and see them. They find them quite fascinating and seem to have an affinity with them."