Sussex’s ‘mystic meerkats’ predict the result of England’s upcoming World Cup semi-final against Australia

The group of meerkats at Drusillas Park in East Sussex have now correctly predicted the Lionesses’ last two World Cup results – first against Nigeria and then Colombia – and the mob has once again backed England.

A spokesperson from the zoo near Alfriston said: “The special method involves two buckets of tasty treats - each with a team's flag on. The buckets are placed down before the meerkats are released and left to choose which bucket they would prefer to eat from. The bucket surrounded by the most meerkats is declared the predicted winner.

“The ‘mystic meerkats’ have been predicting football results since 2021, and last year the mob correctly predicted the Lionesses’ results all the way to the Euro 2022 finals when the ladies brought it home – and they are hoping their tradition will bring England luck once again.”

The activity forms part of the zoo’s daily enrichment programme, which makes sure all the animals enjoy a diverse diet in imaginative and unusual ways. The activities encourage them to think and work for their food, like they would in the wild.

Zoo section leader Claudia Farley said: “Whether you are superstitious or not, the meerkats have a pretty impressive track record with their predictions so maybe they know something we don’t. It’s now become a tradition here at the zoo and this year even our new baby, Reggie, who is only a couple of months old, was in on the action too. We’re big football fans here and are so proud of our Lionesses, so it would be amazing for England to win as the meerkats have predicted."

She added: “They seemed very confident in their decision today, with almost all of the meerkats scrambling to get in the England bucket – it’s amazing how many of them can fit in there, and there were lots of little tails and rear ends poking out the top. Even after the food was all gone, it was a struggle to coax them back out of the bucket, so we think that means they are very sure.”