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  • Orphaned Meerkats Thrive After Being Raised on an Aga, Axe Valley Bird & Animal Park, Devon, Britain - 22 Feb 2010
    DUKAS_13529509_REX
    Orphaned Meerkats Thrive After Being Raised on an Aga, Axe Valley Bird & Animal Park, Devon, Britain - 22 Feb 2010
    NOT FOR USE ON GREETING CARDS, POSTCARDS OR CALENDARS WORLDWIDE
    Mandatory Credit: Photo by Richard Austin / Rex Features ( 1128716l )

    Orphaned Meerkats Thrive After Being Raised on an Aga, Axe Valley Bird & Animal Park, Devon, Britain - 22 Feb 2010
    ABANDONED MEERKATS RULE THE ROOST

    Brought up on an aga, abandoned meerkats Wren and Rascal had a somewhat unusual start to life.

    They and a third sibling were rejected by their mother shortly after being born, tossed out of the den and into the cold.

    Luckily for the tiny creatures their abandonment took place at the Axe Valley Bird and Animal Park, which is run by Jayne Collier and her husband Andrew.

    Jayne is at a loss to explain why her breeding female rejected the trio, as she has raised youngsters in the past and has even gone on to raise another set since.

    Whatever the reason, it was down to Jayne to become adoptive mum to the lonesome babies.

    Despite her best ministrations one didn't make it, but Wren and Rascal proved to be made of tougher stuff.

    The pair, who were just the size of a finger, spent their first weeks of life inside a glove on top of the Colliers' kitchen Aga

    As they grew they were given free-range of the house, which brought out their destructive side.

    Following their natural instincts, the dastardly duo spent their days digging and burrowing - scraping out the grouting between the kitchen flagstones and fluffing up the carpet.

    And despite their shaky start in life the two certainly weren't timid; they would regularly join the humans for walks around the farm, terrifying the dogs with their sharp teeth.

    Eventually Jayne built the tear-away twosome their own new pen, as they wouldn't now be welcomed back by their original family.

    So as they approach their first birthday Wren and Racal are kings of their own domain and can even expect the arrival of two new females soon.

    MUST CRE...
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