The time comes in every prairie dog’s life when it has to learn to stand on its own two feet. This puppy, one of a litter of four, emerged from the safety of its underground nursery at Bristol Zoo yesterday to play in the sun with its mother and siblings.
The baby rodents, whose natural habitat is the grasslands of North America, do not open their eyes until they are five weeks old. Keepers believe that at least two dozen more will appear in the coming weeks.
Early summer is a busy time for births at the zoo. The prairie dogs are the latest of the recent arrivals, which include two newborn meerkats and three species of monkey.