Solihull College Extends Its Animal Family – Simples!

Hope with her two babies Whilst the students were off enjoying their summer break, the Land Based Centre at Solihull College was enjoying the arrival of two baby meerkats. The two kits were born on 10th August to parents Hope and Houdini, but animal care staff at the college are yet to identify the gender of the new arrivals! Nigel Smith, Head of the Land Based Centre, comments: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome the new meerkats to our animal family. They have settled in extremely well to their new surroundings and it’s a fantastic opportunity for the students to experience caring for them and understanding their habits from a young age. Meerkats are very protective animals and therefore the parents are making it difficult to get close to the babies and establish what gender they are. Hopefully we’ll find out soon though!” The meerkats live in a purpose-built environment, which comprises a tree trunk with two tunnels and heat lamp underneath. They feed on a mixture of vegetables, fruits and insects and the kits have already started copying their parents and scavenging for food. The Land Based Centre at Solihull College was completed in May 2011 as part of the £31 redevelopment programme and encompasses a three-storey building, complete with specialist rooms to accommodate a diverse animal family including aviary birds, parrots, skunks and rabbits. In addition, a large range of exotics including lizards, snakes, tortoises, fish and turtles are also enjoying life in specially designed reptile habitats. To the outside, external barns and paddocks have also been built to house goats, pigs, sheep and donkeys. The College’s extensive gardens have also been designed to provide the horticulture students with an opportunity to grow and identify plants, maintain grounds, and carry out conservation projects. A new all-weather barn has also been built to accommodate the students’ practical work and projects, allowing them to study come rain or shine. The College offers a range of programmes at various levels in animal management, veterinary nursing, reptile husbandry and horticulture. For more information visit www.solihull.ac.uk or call 0121 678 7000.

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