The meerkats which are among the most popular attractions that the world's altar zoo in the Austrian capital Vienna surprised keepers with offspring.The zoo staff at Schonbrunn Zoo said they had provided special nesting boxes for the female meerkats but instead they had dug holes underground and then surprised the staff with baby meerkats at the end of last month.Zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck said: "We actually provide the meerkats with special nesting boxes that they have always been happy to use.
But this year they dug their own cave in which the female gave birth to its offspring and raised it for the first few weeks."He added: "That's why it's especially exciting this year.
Otherwise, we could carefully take a look into the nursery through a lid.
Of course, that doesn't work with the cave.
So far our keepers have seen three young animals outside the cave."