# Meerkats with no tails!!!



## danpug (Jul 4, 2007)

We went to Beale Park a few days ago (its in Berkshire i think!?) and 4 out of the 6 meerkats there have little stumps rather than full tails. Does anybody know why this might be?


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## JulesH (Aug 18, 2008)

This can happen if one of the parents is rough with the pups when they are tiny. We have had it happen to a few babies when either mum or dad was carrying them around by the tail when they were first born.


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## danpug (Jul 4, 2007)

I wonder if thats what it was then, maybe it was the two parents who had their tails still?


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## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

Maybe they've got a genetic trait in there stock for stump tail ?.Like the manx cat gene.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

danpug said:


> We went to Beale Park a few days ago (its in Berkshire i think!?) and 4 out of the 6 meerkats there have little stumps rather than full tails. Does anybody know why this might be?


A polite email sent to the park keepers should get a response. Ideally the keepers will put up some interpretation to explain to the public why the meerkats have no tails.

Any animal that isn't 100% healthy or behaves strangely should have interpretive material to expalin the reasons for this to the public......


any zoological establishement needs to remember ...

it is not possible not to communicate...


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## stubeanz (Mar 28, 2007)

is quite common that some inexperienced mothers will over groom the tails roughly, causing the end of the tails to bleed and become bald even to a point where it will need amputation, also litter mates will sometimes chew the tails of the others and cause the same problems as above.
stu


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