Meerkats & Otters

Otters are semi-aquatic carnivores belonging to the family Mustelidae, or the ‘weasel family’, which also includes polecats, weasels and badgers. Otters have long, slim bodies, relatively short limbs, webbed paws and long muscular tails. Mongooses are also small carnivorous mammals. Despite not being closely related, they are similar in appearance to the weasel. They also fill similar ecological niches, live in similar climates and both burrow underground. At Chester Zoo, we have two species of otter and four species of Mongooses, including the Dwarf Mongoose and the charismatic Meerkat.