London Zoo in Lockdown Lets Meerkats and Monkeys Go on Easter Egg Hunt

The arrival of spring gives us many reasons to celebrate, one of them being Easter. But a London Zoo decided to celebrate it a little early, although in a unique way by deciding to include monkeys and meerkats in the celebration. The zoo-keepers went all out by painting papier-mache eggs and filled them with the primates’ favourite treats, before hiding them around their habitat areas. In a viral video, black-capped squirrel monkeys and meerkats can be seen rushing to collect their treats inside the eggs hidden in and around the areas they occupy. The animals can be seen hunting for treats between sand and rocks.

With zoos in the UK being closed for visitors due to lockdown restrictions, the authorities decided to treat the primates with the annual event. The 36-acre zoo has been closed to the public for months during the coronavirus lockdown. However, as the conditions ease, the authorities have decided to reopen the zoo on April 12.

“After what has felt like a particularly long winter, Easter is finally approaching and the warm weather has made a comeback – making it the perfect time to put on an egg hunt for the animals to enjoy,” animal manager Angela Ryan shared in a conversation with Evening Standard. She also added that while the squirrel monkeys were particularly enthusiastic about getting the snacks inside their Easter baskets, the meerkats were very protective about their Easter find despite there being more than enough treat-filled eggs for everyone.

The Easter egg hunt comes after the London Zoo made it clear that it is almost impossible to survive without access to any of the £100 million the government has allotted for the aid of wildlife parks. Director-General of the Zoological Society of London, Dominic Jermey shared with Evening Standard that the criteria attached to national funding render it impossible for the larger UK zoos to access the funds.