Baby meerkats spark adoption rush

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Yorkshire Wildlife Park haS been documenting the four baby meerkats' progress online via videos, blogs and social networking sites

Enquiries about meerkat adoption at a wildlife park in South Yorkshire have quadrupled following the birth of four baby meerkats.

The four were born at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Branton, Doncaster, on 23 July to parents Arthur and Anne.

The babies have their own website, comparethemeerkatbabies.com, which capitalises on the popularity of a current telvision ad campaign.

They also have their own blog and more than 200 fans on Facebook.

Cheryl Williams of the Yorkshire Wildlife Park said enquiries about meerkat adoptions had quadrupled since the babies were born.

The park's gift shop had also had to stock up on meerkat toys.

"The most popular are the meerkat soft toys, but we also do stretchy meerkats and little meerkat pencil sets, the children like to take a meerkat home", she said.

The park charges £25 a year to adopt a meerkat.