SC causes death of entire family of Meerkats

[Lace Neil Singer]

http://www.omahazoo.com/featured/mee...s/meerkats.jpg

Those are meerkats. Big pic so linked not posted.

[ForestDragon]

Those are definitely prairie dogs. Meerkats are longer, skinnier and more weaselly/ferretish in appearance; like Librarybabe said, they have masklike markings on their faces - they have stripes, not spots on their backs, though.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

...aren't those critters prairie dogs? Meerkats have black markings around their eyes, and their backs are spotted. Prairie dogs are pretty darned cute, though.

Yeah, I think they are. Meerkats are kind of skinny.

[ArenaBoy]

Who knows? I personally think that the 9 year could've found another way in. I still can't get over the fact that the parents didn't want their child to get shots. There's worse things that can happen, like an angry mob of zookeepers.

[Dragon_Dreamer]

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_216072203.html

I found an article with a video showing the actual route the child took. The *reporter* had trouble, I'm wondering if the 9 year old had help.

[Librarybabe]

O.T., but....

...aren't those critters prairie dogs? Meerkats have black markings around their eyes, and their backs are spotted. Prairie dogs are pretty darned cute, though.

[PuckishOne]

[minor hijack]

(picture of can of worms)

Lace, remind me not to ask you to open up a can of whoop-ass!

[/minor hijack]


Awww, those meerkats were so cute. (sigh)

[Solace]

Hi, I thought some of you guys might want to see some of the photos I took before the animals were taken off. I was at the zoo around that time when she was bitten.






When I go back to take more pictures, Ill take some of the pen they are in.
I'm 5'9 and would have a hard time reaching down to pet the animals. Im suprised no one noticed this girl pokin around in there..

[Jester]

OK, OK, it's been a few days since I caught up with this thread, but Jester, that was one hell of a GREAT post.

Thank you. It was suggested that I submit it to the Minneapolis paper, but as I wrote that a good two weeks after the story broke, figured they wouldn't bother with it.

[Sunsetsky]

That pisses me off how an animal has to pay for a human's stupidity. It should be common sense not to touch wild animals. Most zoo animals aren't tame like most people think. Even the seemingly tame ones aren't always friendly. I guess they had to euthanize the animals otherwise mommy and daddy would've sued the zoo for housing wild animals.

I've interned as a zookeeper at the zoo and have seen a lot of stupidity among people. The stupidest being that a little girl lost her sandal in the tiger exhibit. She had to have been held up above the bars for that to happen. What if she was accidentally dropped in? People should really think about their actions.

[Becks]

OK, OK, it's been a few days since I caught up with this thread, but Jester, that was one hell of a GREAT post.

[repsac]

Mmmm.... Dinner.

How To Eat Fried Worms. In theaters soon...

Coming Soon to a store near you:

Your own worms in a can. Recipes on the label back.

[Tria]

Hope no-one was seriously repulsed by that pic...

Mmmm.... Dinner.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Hope no-one was seriously repulsed by that pic...

[One-Fang]

I wouldn't open that can of worms ...