Meerkat named after Loose Women personality

A meerkat at Staffordshire-based theme park and zoo Drayton Manor Park has been renamed after a Loose Women star made the request on the show last week.

After TV personality Janet Street Porter was "mortified" to find out that a naked mole rat at Chester Zoo had been named after her, she asked if any zoos would name a meerkat after her instead.

The team at Drayton Manor Park 's 15-acre on-site zoo named one of their most popular meerkats after the Loose Women star.

Janet is reportedly a huge fan of the change.

Fellow Loose Women panellist Ruth Langsford revealed the namesake on the show, saying: “So a meerkat is what you 'd like. Well, Janet, news just in - the team at Drayton Manor theme park and zoo have named one of their female meerkats Janet Street Porter!

“Janet the meerkat is seven years old, she 's very sociable - interestingly - and she lives in a gang of eight meerkats. She also lives with three cape-crested porcupines and gets on well with them. She 's spiky, you see! ”

Janet thanked the park for naming the meerkat after her - which she described as “beautiful ”.

Janet the meerkat (pictured) lives at Drayton Manor Park 's conservation zoo, along with over 100 animals from all over the world including endangered species such as tigers, red pandas and monkeys.

The park is due to reopen on 12 April, if government Covid restrictions allow.