Meerkats are not endangered, and there is no shortage of them in the wild. Meerkats are active and agile terrestrial mammals. They live and work in groups. In a wild meerkat colony there could be as many as forty living together. In the wild, they fight off predators together, hunt together and sleep balled up right next to, or on top of, each other. They wrestle, play, investigate, scent mark territory, bury things and dig things up. Meerkats learn fast and know, by instinct, that they must use teamwork to survive. All meerkats, when they grow up, possess enough information to teach another meerkat to be a contributing member of the colony.

Where do meerkats come from?
Meerkats live in the semi-arid plains called savannas in Southern Africa. They live in grass lined burrows connected by elaborate tunnels creating an underground home much like a maze. Meerkats don’t hunt far from home so if the food source is exhausted in the area they move as a colony to new territory. They may take up residence in old burrows or set about digging new ones. They are vulnerable when they can’t escape from predators into an underground tunnel. Predators include jackals, servals, and martial eagles.

What is life like in a meerkat colony?
Each adult member of the meerkat colony performs several jobs. Some baby-sit and stay close to the den with the young ones to keep them out of trouble while the rest of the colony is hunting. Others go one-on-one with the juveniles to teach them how to hunt with the group, while some are primarily responsible for feeding the colony. Others keep an eye out for predators – these sentries stand on their hind legs and bark out warnings. Even in the meerkat exhibit in the Animal Kingdom building, sentries watch visitors and look out the window, on guard and ready to warn the others of potential intruders.

What about the meerkats at our zoo?
Our five meerkats range in age from 2-4 years old. Meerkats have an average life span in a zoo environment of 14 years. Our meerkats, Butch, Sundance, Tina, Kate, and Allie are all related.