Meerkats are a member of the mongoose family and are native to deserts, grasslands and savannas in southern Africa. They live in large multi-family groups, known as mobs, in underground burrow systems. A dominant breeding pair in each family produces most of the offspring, called pups, and all members of the mob will care for them. Meerkat groups are led by a dominant female. In the wild, meerkats are mostly insectivores, with a diet consisting of insects and worms and sometimes small reptiles, birds and scorpions – they are immune to scorpion venom.
They have a keen sense of smell and large front claws to aid with finding and digging up food. Adult meerkats will take turns at sentry duty. They will stand upright on a high point, keeping watch while the rest of the group searches for food. A loud bark is sounded to alert the group of danger, allowing them to flee to the safety of their burrows. Meerkats have dark patches around their eyes to reduce the suns glare – like a pair of sunglasses. The IUCN red list currently classes meerkats as “least concern”.
