This is the cute baby meerkat keeping its adopted mother awake at night.

Little Charlie was the runt of a litter born at Chessington World of Adventures and was rejected by his mother and siblings.

Zookeeper Jenny Fisher took pity on the tiny bundle of fur and offered to hand-rear him.

The pair have since become inseparable and a dedicated Miss Fisher feeds the week-and-a-half old with a syringe of milk every two hours.

Pups are entirely dependent on their mothers in the first six weeks so Miss Fisher, 25, has a while to go before she can sleep soundly again.