'Mystic meerkats' predict England World Cup win
The creatures at an East Sussex zoo used buckets of feed to make their choice
A group of 'mystic meerkats' at an East Sussex wildlife park have been predicting the results of the World Cup - and their latest forecast is good news for England fans.
The creatures at Drusillas Park in Alfriston believe that Gareth Southgate's Three Lions will come out on top in their quarter-final with France in Qatar on Saturday night (December 10th).
The group are offered a choice of two buckets, each with the flags of one of the competing countries, filled with treats to snack on.
The bucket surrounded by the most meerkats is declared the predicted winner.
The creatures are already in good form, having correctly predicted England to beat Senegal in their last-16 match on Sunday.
Previously, the mystic meerkats became good luck charms for fans for Euro 2020 with their adorable prediction method and correctly predicted the results of the Women's World Cup all the way to the finals.
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 similar to how they would in the wild - and it's now become a bit of a tradition at the Zoo.
Zoo Keeper Jacinta Dawe said: “Our team love getting into the spirit of the World Cup and so it’s been great to get behind the squad and show our support.
"Although we wish both teams luck on Saturday - it would be amazing for England to win as the meerkats have predicted!"
"They sometimes take a while to settle on a decision with some meerkats in each buckets, but today they are full of optimism and confidence as they went straight for England and France didn’t even get a look in.
"My favourite part is seeing their little backsides poking out from the buckets!”