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Meerkats Mobs Take Over the LA Zoo
Meet Chico and Barky | Photo by Jamie Pham/LA Zoo
The LA Zoo is now home to two groups, or mobs, of Meerkats, who are native to southern Africa. Two reside in the cute-as-ever Winnick Family Children’s Zoo and four just arrived from the North Carolina Zoo making their home at the meerkat habitat.
Why two areas? "Meerkats are highly territorial and rarely allow an outsider to join their group," a zoo news release says. The mob from North Carolina is already an established family and adding the zoo's only long-time resident meerkat, Chico, to the group would be dangerous to his survival. So a solution--another similarly aged Meerkat named Barky--was found at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, Virgina.
"As one of our older residents, Chico requires some special care so we knew introducing him to a group probably wasn’t in his best interest," Zoo Director John Lewis said in a statement. "We were happy to work with the Virginia Zoo to provide a companion animal for him."
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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