Beloved meerkats tragically die at UK wildlife park after tunnel collapses on them following heavy rainfall – with pregnant mother among dead
A colony of meerkats at Tropical Birdland in Desford, Leicestershire, was almost entirely wiped out after their underground tunnels collapsed following heavy rainfall. The mob had recently dug fresh burrows in the dry ground to prepare for an expected litter of pups from their mother, known as Big Mama, but the sudden downpour weakened the newly excavated tunnels, causing them to cave in and trap the animals below.
Staff managed to locate the buried meerkats and rescued just one survivor, but the rest of the group, including Big Mama, could not be saved. The park said it is closely monitoring the remaining meerkat's wellbeing and thanked the public for their support. The incident followed weeks of heatwaves that left 71 per cent of England in drought after the driest July in 190 years, with experts warning that hardened, parched ground increases the risk of flash flooding once heavy rain returns, as forecast by the Met Office across England and Wales.
- Meerkat tunnels collapsed in heavy rain at a Leicestershire wildlife park
- Only one meerkat survived; mother Big Mama among those killed
- Drought-hardened ground after heatwaves worsened flood/collapse risk
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Fresh downpours have hit parts of England after weeks of drought, following the driest July in around 190 years, which left much of the ground hard and cracked. Experts have warned that this parched soil struggles to absorb sudden heavy rain, raising the risk of flash flooding and ground instability when wet weather returns.
The story concerns Tropical Birdland, a wildlife park in Desford, Leicestershire, and its resident meerkats, small burrowing mammals that live in tight-knit family groups known as mobs, usually led by a dominant female. The animals had dug new tunnels in the dry earth, and their leader, nicknamed Big Mama, was expecting a litter of pups.
The episode has drawn attention because it illustrates how extreme swings between drought and heavy rainfall can have unexpected, severe consequences for wildlife, even in a managed, protected setting such as a zoo or wildlife park.