A gang of meerkats from the London Zoo has gone viral on social media after a video caught their reaction to meeting a sausage dog for the first time.

The hilarious video, shared on TikTok earlier in September by the pup's owner under the username @everythingsausage_, shows the meerkats gathering in front of the pup, who was just as excited to see them. They stand on their hind legs and get closer and closer to the glass, as if trying to get to him.

"Meerkats meeting their sausage king," read a caption shared along with the humorous video.

Perhaps the elongated shape of the pup's body reminded the meerkats of themselves, and maybe that's why they took such special interest in him, as if he was one of them, or indeed their king.

While their unusual body shape has made dachshunds incredibly popular worldwide, it also causes them a variety of serious health problems.

The British Veterinary Association previously explained that their body shape makes all dachshund varieties, including the miniature versions, at risk of serious spinal and neurological issues that require surgery to fix.

Although these problems may not be immediately obvious when you first get your pup, they often cause them discomfort for life and can end up needing very expensive veterinary treatments.

"Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) tops the list of common health issues, which is a condition which causes the dog to be unable to walk and can seriously compromise the dog's quality of life," the website explains.

"Research shows that the risk of IVDD in dachshunds is 10-12 times higher than other dog breeds, with at least one-fifth of all dachshunds showing clinical signs in their life."

The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 487,900 views and 40,300 likes on the platform.

One user, Mia Anstine, commented: "All he wants to do is 'chew those little rats up."

Jenny said: "But I'm waiting for the king to sit up too!!"

Entnet wrote: "Was waiting for the sausage to do the meerkat."

Cordelia Ween Dog added: "You missed a once in a lifetime opportunity to be one with the meerkats."

Newsweek reached out to everythingsausage_ for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.

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