Meerkats reacted positively to the return of zoo visitors after lockdown, a study has found.
Meerkats
Experts studied the behaviour of the animals at three zoos in the UK both during the first coronavirus lockdown and in the month when zoos reopened to the public last year.
The researchers found that meerkats displayed increased positive social interactions with one another after human visitors returned to the zoos.
Meerkats also showed an increase in alert behaviours, the study published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
Dr. Samantha Ward, a scientist from Nottingham Trent University's School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, said: "The presence of indicators of positive welfare within the group, including positive social interactions and engaging in positive human-animal interactions, suggest the return of visitors was a positive and engaging experience for the meerkats."