An oddball mayor has raised eyebrows after taking his pet meerkat for a walk on a leash through a busy city centre.
Eccentric Efrem Brambilla recently went for a stroll with his pet mongoose Timon with the pair inundated with attention by people curious about the little creature.
“In Piazza del Duomo in Milan with Timon the meerkat, it was difficult to take even one step, everyone stopped you,” the 36-year-old said on Tuesday (9 April).
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“In the end, we found ourselves surrounded by a crowd that wanted to admire her.
“Some already knew her.”
The pair went for their walk in Milan, Italy – an hour’s drive from the small town of Santa Maria, where he has been the mayor since 2016.
Brambilla and his wife Eleonora bought Timon from an authorised breeder in January, as reported on Need To Know.
They also own a French bulldog named Madame Muffin and a Sheltie guinea pig called Pistachio.
According to the mayor, the trio play, cuddle and sleep together, and protect each other.
The couple have owned several weird and wonderful pets over the years.
They’ve had llamas, chameleons, parrots, hedgehogs and even insects.
“A real Noah’s Ark,” joked Brambilla.
Commenting on the outing with the meerkat, one social media user, named Arianna, said: “Timon superstar.”
Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are burrowing members of the mongoose family found in south-western Africa.
They’re unmistakably recognisable in their upright “sentinel” posture as they watch for predators.
