Natureland is now offering unique encounters with their meerkats so editor Sara Hollyman checked out the experience.
While Natureland has offered keeper talks for some time now, the opportunity to enter an animal’s enclosure is something new for the park. So, I jumped at the chance to experience an up-close encounter with the park’s meerkats and their new babies.
In November, resident meerkats Jooby, 2, and Gamba, 7, welcomed three male pups to their family. Being the only breeding pair in the country, it was a welcome addition to the Natureland family.
Being able to fall pregnant just five days after giving birth, the pair again welcomed pups in February. This time there were four, two boys and two girls, bringing the mob to nine.
What better time than to head into the enclosure with the only babies in the country?
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I thought crouching in the corner observing from the other side of the glass was pretty much it.
Dad Gamba, along with two “naughty teens” were shut away for my encounter as manager Leah Foster says it can be slightly overwhelming having them climb all over you. I don’t think I would’ve minded though.
As we headed around the back, Leah told me to let her know if I felt overwhelmed – “they are not shy”, she warned.
She led me in and no sooner had I sat down on the wooden bench, I had Jooby on my knee in sentry watch – eyeing the skies for predators. I am told that sentry is an important job in meerkat mobs in the wild, standing at the highest possible lookout while the rest of the group searches for food. The sentry sends out a soft, high-pitched call every few seconds to let the others know they are safe from danger.
There can be up to 50 in a mob so with nine now at Natureland, all are exhibiting more natural behaviours, like sentry duty, which Leah says is great to see.
Two of the newest pups, which were just balls of fluff, ran straight to my feet. Apparently, my sparkly Converse were something that needed to be explored. They sniffed and scratched at my (thankfully clean) socks, and proceeded to try and untie my shoelaces.
I immediately understood the need to wear long pants and enclosed shoes for the encounter.
Once Jooby was satisfied that everything was safe, she climbed up onto Leah and went straight for her pocket.
“She knows I have peas and corn in there,” Leah laughs.
Next it was Mr teen’s turn to come and check out what I was all about. He gave my hair a good brush, an arguably better job than what I do most mornings, and then gently did the same to my eyelashes. He sniffed my nose ring and nestled in under my neck.
Jooby suddenly made an ever-so-slight sound and the whole mob paused. Leah looked to the sky and pointed out a barely visible gull flying high over the nearby Tāhunanui Recreation Reserve.
Jooby had already seen it, but ultimately decided it didn’t pose a risk, so the mob resumed normal activities which involved a rough-and-tumble playfight between the kids, not dissimilar to my own mob at home.
Leah tells me, coming from Australia Zoo, where you can get up close with almost every kind of animal there is, encounters are something she feels builds a deeper connection with the animals and can spark a passion for caring for their environment in those who get to experience it.
After meeting Jooby and her mob, I’d have to agree.
For more information on the encounters, which are available to those 10 and over, go here.
