Meerkat rescued by RSPCA after he was dumped in a Burnley field now has a new home…and a girlfriend

Massa was picked up by the animal welfare charity last year after reports that a meerkat had been found dumped in a carrier bag in a field in the Burnley area.

Animal rescuer Demi Hodby was sent to collect Masaa and was unable to find the person responsible for dumping him – however she did manage to find him a loving home with a specialist keeper in Stoke-on-Trent.

The keeper had a single female meerkat – Sahara – after her companion had a stroke around Christmas time.

They were happy to take on Massa as meerkats are very social animals and need the company of others. They also need specialist care and are not at all suited to being kept as pets.

Sahara and Masaa were introduced to each other slowly, starting in their carriers.

Demi said: “I am so pleased Masaa and Sahara have found each other and they get on so well. Meerkats need to be cared for by a specialist keeper and need the company of other meerkats in order to live a happy, healthy life.

"Sadly, when we encounter meerkats we often see individual meerkats being kept or offered for sale apart from their gang.

“Lone meerkats are also very difficult to integrate back into social groups.”

The meerkat is a small, wild animal native to southern Africa who belongs to the mongoose family. Meerkats roam territories that can extend for several kilometres and spend hours foraging and digging for food.

Meerkats are extremely social and live in tight-knit groups of up to 40 individuals in the wild. They have a keen sense of smell, vision, and hearing for sensing predators.

Further information is available at https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/other/meerkats