Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2014 | Page 38

ENTERTAINMENT

Meerkats given
zoo extension
T

he IW Zoo at Yaverland, the Island’s oldest zoo, has
always been renowned for the unique way in which it
connects people to animals and its continued desire
to do so lies at the very heart of its organisational vision.
With this in mind the zoo team recently partnered with
local artists, Ecclestone George and 6th form Sandown Bay
Academy students to design and construct ‘Suricata Lodge’.
This under-cover Kalahari themed area is an extension to
the meerkats main living habitat, which was also designed
by local children from The Bay C of E Primary School. The
IW Zoo is truly a ‘community zoo’ and is therefore keen to
evolve as a wildlife centre which locals relate to and feel a
sense of ownership. This collaborative approach has paid
dividends to all involved in the making of ‘Suricata Lodge’
which has proved to be a project much greater than the sum
of its parts.
Group meerkat encounters are now up and running and
proving very popular. Tickets are sold daily on a first-comefirst-served basis, the minimum age is eight years. The
friendly and curious meerkat mob love to use participants as
human termite mounds as they seek to satisfy their ‘sentry’
instinct from the highest vantage point!
It is anticipated that meerkat encounters will continue to
run throughout the winter period on days when the zoo is
open. Special gift experiences will also be available. In the
meantime, it’s hard to figure out who is having the most fun,
suricata suricatta or homo sapien. The zoo’s five adorable
female meerkats, named by local children as Matilda, Monica,
Mia, Mauve and Marley are waiting to meet you! You can also
adopt the meerkats as a group. See www.isleofwightzoo.com
for details.

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