Mystic Meerkats predict England World Cup Win!

^{PUBLISHED 17/08/23}

‘Mystic Meerkats’ attempt fourth correct World Cup prediction for historic England final

After three correct World Cup predictions, and a perfect prediction record for the Euros 2022, a group of ‘psychic’ meerkats in Sussex have spoken on this weekend’s historic game against Spain – and they’re backing the Lionesses to bring it home!

The ‘Mystic Meerkats’ of Drusillas Park are enjoying internet fame with their adorable prediction method, and keepers are hoping they can get it right for the first time the women’s team have reached a World Cup final.

The special method involves two buckets of worms (a meerkat delicacy), 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.

For their final prediction of the tournament, the meerkats kept things exciting and it looked as though it could have gone either way at one point, with little meerkat bottoms sticking out of both buckets for a while. But sure enough, after some scrambling around the mob settled in England’s bucket and Spain’s bucket was left deserted.

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 won the tournament. The team at Drusillas are hoping their tradition will bring England luck once again. Keepers say the meerkats now recognise the buckets and run excitedly to get involved, with lots of happy chirping sounds as they choose which bucket to feast from.

Although it might seem a strange activity for meerkats, 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 - and it's now become a bit of a tradition at the zoo and the meerkats run over excitedly when they see the buckets.

Head Keeper Gemma Romanis said: “Whether you are superstitious or not, the meerkats have a pretty impressive track record with their predictions so I’m choosing to believe in them! 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."

Gemma continued: “They actually weren’t as certain today, and there was a moment where there were equal meerkats in both buckets, but they had a team huddle and seemed to all land on England as the winner after all. 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!”

Keepers have everything crossed the meerkats are correct and The Lionesses will be celebrating their first ever World Cup win.