The Chattanooga Zoo is expecting a litter of pups soon as it announced Thursday that one of its meerkats is pregnant, according to a news release from the zoo.
Flower, a two-year-old meerkat, received an ultrasound last week that confirmed she had become pregnant through natural breeding. This pregnancy is Flower's second after she gave birth to her first litter of pups in February.
"Flower has shown that she has excellent maternal instincts and has done a wonderful job raising the mob's pups," Chattanooga Zoo General Curator Stacy Laberdee said in the release. "We are excited to see the growth of the mob and the new family bonds that are created."
The zoo's veterinary staff are expecting Flower's due date to be within the next month. Her ultrasound showed at least one pup, but meerkats typically give birth to two to four pups. Meerkats have an estimated gestation of ten weeks, the release states.
In preparation for the birth, Flower will be provided with comfortable nesting boxes and tunnels in her habitat. Meerkats usually give birth underground in a large den, so animal care staff will try to replicate that environment. Staff will continue to monitor Flower's pregnancy and observe her behavior as she approaches the due date of her second litter.
Chattanooga Zoo President and CEO Dardenelle Long says she is proud of the staff and their dedication to the animals as they scheduled a sonogram after noticing Flower had recently been gaining weight.
"Flower's pregnancy is the bright spot we've all needed as we face new and unique challenges in our lives," Long said in the release.
Flower has been at the zoo since October 2019 when she was placed with a breeding recommendation within the zoo's mob through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan.
Though the zoo is unable to welcome visitors at this time due to the coronavirus pandemic, the community can watch the meerkat mob through a livestream available at http://www.chattzoo.org/explore/video-stream.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga area cancellations and closures due to coronavirus outbreak)
Meerkats Flower, left, and Maral, right, are seen at the Chattanooga Zoo. The zoo announced Flower's pregnancy in April 2020. / Photo contributed by the Chattanooga Zoo