Meerkat Petting at The Royal Oak Inn
The landlord of The Royal Oak Inn and Meerkat Retreat in Brockham, Surrey, has stated that the meerkats residing at the pub "love the attention" they receive from visitors. This establishment claims to be the only pub in the UK offering patrons the opportunity to interact closely with meerkats.
Landlord Chris Collier explained that the presence of the meerkats at the pub came about unexpectedly. After making inquiries with several zoos in 2023, he received an unexpected call a year later regarding the rescue of seven meerkats whose previous owner had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Upon learning that The Royal Oak was seeking a new landlord, Collier moved in along with the seven meerkats two weeks later.
"I really didn't think it would happen, but everything fell into place. We had the Brockham Bonfire, which attracted crowds of punters on the first day, then the next day the meerkats arrived."
Collier noted that a special enclosure was constructed in the pub garden for the meerkats; however, due to licensing regulations, they were initially required to keep the animals out of public view as the pub did not hold a zoo licence.
He has since applied for the necessary zoo licence, which remains under consideration.
Challenges and Adaptations
Collier acknowledged that the journey had not been without difficulties. One male meerkat was ostracised from the group and had to be hand-reared in Collier's home. Additionally, one meerkat passed away, and three females became pregnant unexpectedly.
"We hadn't planned to breed the meerkats, but it happened and suddenly we had seven babies. We neutered the females so it wouldn't happen again,"Collier said, describing the early months as a "steep learning curve."
While the original meerkats were not accustomed to human interaction, the new offspring underwent a four-week handling program, which helped them become comfortable interacting with customers.
"We've since continued with the human interaction as the meerkats love the attention and it's beneficial for them,"Collier added.
Currently, there are two adult meerkats and five babies residing in the enclosure.
Community Engagement and Business Strategy
The Royal Oak Inn now offers meerkat breakfasts on Saturday mornings, an event that has proven popular with both children and adults.
"We are currently running meerkat breakfasts on Saturday mornings, and they are really popular with kids and adults,"Collier said.
He emphasized the importance of diversifying in the pub industry, especially during challenging times.
"Pubs need to be more than beer and burgers nowadays, so we're offering beer and meerkats,"he concluded.
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