Meerkats at London Zoo woke up this morning to a trail of hidden coloured eggs laid out as an Easter treat.

Ham & High: Meerkats with a variety of eggs at London Zoo. Picture: ZSLMeerkats with a variety of eggs at London Zoo. Picture: ZSL (Image: Archant)

The vigilant mammals – which are part of the mongoose family – didn’t take long to dig out the eggs, which were made from papier mache and contained fresh veggies.

Veronica Heldt, zookeeper at the Regent’s Park zoo, said: “While there was no chocolate for our inquisitive meerkats, we prepared an Easter egg hunt for the clan.

“This encourages them to seek out treats hidden in the foliage and forage for food, mimicking how they would seek their food in the wild.”

She added: “We like to find fun ways for the animals to join in the festivities.”

Ham & High: A meerkat with a variety of eggs at London Zoo. Picture: ZSLA meerkat with a variety of eggs at London Zoo. Picture: ZSL (Image: Archant)

Meerkats – which can be found in Botswana, Namibia, Angola and South Africa – live in groups known as “mobs”, “clans” or “gangs”.

Ham & High: A meerkat with a variety of eggs at London Zoo. Picture: ZSLA meerkat with a variety of eggs at London Zoo. Picture: ZSL (Image: Archant)