An animal lover achieved a wish come true when her care home arranged a trip to a zoo to see meerkats.
Peggy Lill, who lives at Colten Care’s Avon Reach in Mudeford, Dorset, has received a different meerkat ornament from her granddaughter every birthday and Christmas for several years.
Her collection has grown so much along with her fondness for the animal she told carers of her wish to see real meerkats in person.
The Avon Reach team laid on a 72-mile round trip to Marwell Zoo by minibus, with Peggy joined by friend and fellow resident Janet Douglas.
During their visit, the pair saw an array of animals including giraffes, rhinos, red pandas and of course, Peggy’s favourites, the meerkats.
“The highlight of Peggy’s day was undoubtedly her visit to the meerkats,” said Home Manager Ruth Wildman. “She was delighted to watch them in their enclosure busy digging holes and playfully scampering around together. Their curious nature and lively personalities brought the biggest smile to her face.”
Peggy also took the opportunity to speak with one of the zookeepers, learning about baby meerkats and how they are protected by their mothers through the matriarchal nature of meerkat society.
Reflecting on her visit, Peggy said: “It was an absolutely wonderful day that I’ll always treasure.”
Meerkats’ lifespan in the wild is generally 12 to 14 years. About the size of a squirrel, they are part of the mongoose family and live in ‘gangs’ of up to 50 members in the deserts and grasslands of the southern tip of Africa.
They are highly intelligent and social, living together in burrows that can be up to five metres long and have multiple entrances, tunnels and rooms.
