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Desert’s Edge Arrival at Zoo
MeeRkAt were born into human care. The mob includes a male, Tebogo,
In April, our meerkat mob arrived from South Africa where they
and four females—Dinari, Keeya, Naledi, and Naomi.
MoB Animal Planet’s “Meercat Manor” and the wisecracking cartoon meerkat,
Why you should visit

Suricata suricatta Timon, of “The Lion King” made meerkats one of the most adored
species in popular culture. Here’s your chance to see them in real life.
Geographic range
Southern Africa
Habitat type
Arid, dry areas such as grasslands, savannahs, and deserts

Physical description
Meerkats are members of the mongoose family. Adult meerkats are
about 20 inches long including a long, stiff tail that they use to
prop themselves up when they stand erect on their hind legs.
Social structure/behavior
They live in tight-knit family groups called mobs that are highly
organized and cooperative. As many as 30 animals live together
in underground burrow systems with multiple tunnels and
specialized chambers, such as a common latrine.
Each individual has a particular role in the group, whether
it’s to provide sentry duty, or to babysit, feed, or educate pups.
They have one of the most sophisticated vocal languages
in the animal kingdom. For example, a sentry that spots
approaching danger sounds warning calls to the rest of
the mob that identifies the type of threat—a raptor
overhead, an animal approaching on land, or
another mob of threatening meerkats.
Ecosystem role
Meerkats are predators that mostly eat
insects. They are preyed upon by
raptors, snakes, and mammals.
Conservation status
Least concern

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