meerkats are so funny. i’ve always loved seeing them in the zoo, and meerkat manor is just an awesome show (new season august 10th!). reading this was just a crazy intersection of things. i bet i can think of a few other ways to help them socialize too!
Vaporub solves meerkat gang-wars:
Zookeepers at Paultons Park near Romsey, Hampshire, UK have solved their meerkat brawls with Vap-O-Rub. Meerkats attack newcomers unless they smell like family. The solution was to rub all the little critters with minty chest-sauce so that they all smelled alike.Livestock manager Geoff Masson said: “It is normally extremely difficult to integrate new meerkats into an existing group – their usual instinct is to try to attack any newcomers.
“However, thanks to a suggestion from our vet, Kate Chitty, we were able to neutralise all odours by using a little of the VapoRub on the nose of each meerkat.
“The meerkats then all smelt the same to each other and gladly accepted the new arrivals.”