At The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) we are fortunate to be home to eight very special meerkats and over 50 species of fish thanks to Zoos Victoria and Advanced Aquarium Technologies. Here are some fun facts on our little creatures.

Did you know…

• Some of the fish in our aquarium have been living there since the hospital opened in 2011, with more fish arriving directly from Queensland every six months.
• The aquarium is saltwater and is heated to 25 degrees to recreate a Queensland-like water temperature.
• One of our largest inhabitants is an eight-year-old Humphead Maori Wrasse named Humpy. Humphead Maori Wrasse’s can grow up to two meters long and weigh up to 190kg!
• The two sharks inside the tank are named Spot and Scratch. They are Australian blacktip sharks who love to eat fish pellets, seaweed and shrimp. Spot and Scratch are both about two-years-old and have been at the hospital for a year now.
• We are also lucky enough to be home to a puffer fish. Named after its main defensive mechanism, the puffer fish is famous for its ability to transform in a second from a small fish to a large spiky ball by ingesting water. Sadly, the puffer fish is now a threatened species in it’s natural environment.
• Staff from Advanced Aquarium Technologies can be seen inside the aquarium throughout the week cleaning the aquarium and feeding the fish.
• We now have eight meerkats from two different litters, and they are all girls! Four were born in South Africa in 2010 and four were born at Melbourne Zoo in 2012.
• The mother of the four younger meerkats is in the group with them, and the other three adults are their aunties.
• Andrea is the mum and the daughters are Kel, Sarah, Liz and Zoe. Andrea’s sisters are named Sam, Meg and Nic.
• The meerkats are fed three times a day by a Zoo Keeper from Melbourne Zoo and they are given a variety of food to cater for their omnivore diet, which is what they eat in the wild. Generally this is a mouse for breakfast, fruit and vegetables with raw mince later in the day (with important vitamins and minerals added), and insects (crickets or meal-worms) for dinner. The food is all scattered so they have to hunt for it, which keeps them active.
• The Zoo Keepers care for the meerkats each day and they have a vet on call in case they see something that worries them. Otherwise the vets only attend when the meerkats need their annual vaccination.
• Sometimes the meerkats leave the RCH and go back to the Zoo if they are required for a breeding program or if they need a special medical check-up.
• A favourite activity for the meerkats is sunbaking!

Next time you’re visiting the RCH for an appointment be sure to stop by and say hello to the fish and the meerkats!