Media Release: It’s a boy, as meerkats’ first-born announced

Meerkats, St Andrews Aquarium, 7th April 2011

THIS weekend, after almost 40 days and 40 nights, most Scots will be eagerly awaiting the opportunity to crack open their chocolate Easter eggs.

But bosses at St Andrews Aquarium, are celebrating the news that their latest arrival to the Aquarium, meerkats, Kate & Wills’ first born, is a boy.

The cuddly ‘heir to the throne’ was born in the Aquarium on 2nd March, to meerkat parents Kate & Wills. However, bosses have had to wait much longer to find out if the tiny meerkat was a boy or a girl.

Almost the entire length of Lent, in fact.

John Mace, manager of St Andrews Aquarium, commented: “The meerkats have been extremely popular with visitors during the school holidays and Easter weekend is one of our busiest weekend of the year.

“Everyone has been asking whether it’s a girl or a boy and all we’ve been able to do is say ‘we’ll just have to wait and see’ – we’re delighted that we’ve been able to determine the sex of this young man, just days before Easter.”

Kate & Wills arrived at the Aquarium earlier this year and have already been thrust into the media spotlight, courtesy of St Andrews position at the epicentre of all things Royal and wedding-related.

The baby boy meerkat, which was about the size of a chipolata sausage when he was first born, has adjusted well to his new home and can now be seen posing every day for visitors with his parents Kate & Wills.

“He’s certainly not camera shy!” said John.

“He seems to be basking in his place in the spotlight at the moment and our next challenge is to come up with a suitable name for him – members of our facebook page have already started to offer up suggestions!”

Kate, Wills and the baby boy are joined in their African enclosure by a third meerkat who is currently waiting on the schoolchildren of Fife to name him in a competition which comes to a close on the day of the Royal Wedding.

Suggestions have already started to pour in to the Aquarium.

Members of the public can find out more about Kate, Wills and the baby boy meerkat on the Aquarium’s facebook page at: www.facebook.com/fifeaquarium

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Contact: Tricia Fox
Phone: 01738 658187
Email: t.fox@volpa.co.uk
Website: http://www.volpa.co.uk