Staff at Melbourne Zoo celebrated the birth of two meerkat pups – the first to be born there in five years, footage from November 6 shows.

The two pups were born on October 17 and spent their first five weeks staying close to their mother, six-year-old Toto and father, five-year-old Malu.

Melbourne Zoo Carnivores and Ungulates Life Sciences Manager, Laura Weiner said the pups were “a bit of a surprise.”

““We had been wondering why Toto wasn’t getting pregnant, as we had observed mating. During checks to investigate her fertility, happily the vet team discovered she was already pregnant.”

“Toto is doing a great job with her first litter. She is very attentive, doing everything she should – cleaning them, feeding them,” Weiner said.

Their arrival brings the Zoo’s total number of meerkats (including those at the Royal Children’s Hospital) to 17, the Zoo said.

Credit: Zoos Victoria via Storyful