On 24th July, Ben and Geri, Dartmoor Zoo’s meerkat pair brought two new pups into the world…we’ve been calling them adorable this whole time but now they go by Everest and Endeavour!
The names were chosen by Sir John Hunt Community Sports College, who helped build Meerkat Manor in 2024, and by PCiP – Promoting Children in Plymouth, who generously funded the project. This amazing collaboration gave young people the chance to learn new skills, work as a team, and take real pride in building something special.
Sophie Cooper from Sir John Hunt commented: “We named the meerkat pups Everest and Endeavour to reflect both our school’s heritage and our values. Sir John Hunt famously led the first successful ascent of Mount Everest, showing courage, resilience, and determination. These qualities connect closely to our school values of Respect, Ambition, and Endeavour.
Just as our students showed teamwork, ambition, and perseverance in designing and building the meerkat enclosure, the names celebrate striving for great achievements and always pushing to be our best.”
Dartmoor Zoo’s CEO David Gibson commented: “We want to say a huge thank you to Sir John Hunt School and Promoting Children in Plymouth for coming up with such appropriate names for our Meerkat Pups. The names really capture the spirit of our ongoing partnership with both organisations and the impact that the work we do together has on the lives of the students of Sir John Hunt School.”
Thanks to their creativity and PCiP’s support, our meerkat family now have a beautiful home, and our pups have the perfect names to match!