Watch: Chance to name new meerkat arrivals in Shropshire - simples!

Four pups were born at the Walford Campus of Walford and North Shropshire College in Baschurch at the start of February.

And now staff members have visited two primary schools in order to decide on names for two of the pups.

Meerkats are cat-like carnivores and are part of the mongoose family. They live in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa

They are identified by their long bodies, short, flat ears and their ability to stand on their back feet. Their coats can be gold, silver, orange or brown with dark patches of fur around the eyes.

Pippa Evans, the college's schools liaison co-ordinator, said: "We are very happy to announce the arrival of four meerkat pups at the start of February at the Walford Campus.

"Mother and babies are doing well but the pups have yet to be named.

"I have visited two local primary schools and held assemblies to get help with naming two of the meerkat pups.

"The schools I have visited are Baschurch Primary School and St John the Baptist Primary School in Ruyton XI Towns.

"The children at both schools were excited about the opportunity to name the meerkats and asked many questions about their habitat, health and life in the wild.

"Pupils were invited to enter their chosen name into the suggestion box, the winning meerkat names will be revealed at WNSC's forthcoming spring lambing day."

The lambing day will be held on March 22 from 11am until 4pm.

There will be an opportunity to see all of the animals including the meerkats.

The meerkats are just one of the 100 species and are among 700 animals that are at the Walford Campus.

They are part of the animal care and animal management courses that run for post-16 students.

For more information go to www.wnsc.ac.uk/help-support/open-events or call 01691 688080.