Category: General

Floki VWM241 in 2022
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

An article on the KMP’s habituation process is presented in the June Meerkatter, with progress updates on several of the project’s habituation groups, including Whiskers, and a new group named Mandalore.  Mandalore is comprised of 8-10 meerkats and occupies an area in Whiskers territory. One of the males has been identified as Whiskers adult subordinate male Floki (VWM241) and has been fitted with a radio collar.  Floki was last seen in November 2022. Time (and transponder scans) will tell if there are other previously known individuals in this group.

Nightwatch Sushi VTSM006
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Nightwatch eldest subordinate male Sushi’s (VTSM006) predated remains were found this month.  He was likely a victim of a terrestrial predator, perhaps a cape fox.  The story of this former Make-e-Plan dominant male and co-founder of Trackie-Daks, is featured in this month’s Meerkatter. Sushi had visible advanced tuberculosis symptoms at the time of his death, so a close watch is being kept on the rest of the group for any other infected individuals.

Zulus Salazar in 2023
Photo by Harry Ames

At the new habituation group, Hogwarts, adult subordinate female, Salazar (VZUF057), was fitted with a radio collar.  This should make finding the group easier and more frequent.

After more than six months, the Phoenix group has been spotted several times at one of its sleeping burrows.

Phoenix in 2022
Photo by Deborah Mary Lanzi Mazzocchini

Male and female dominance is still unsettled at Whiskers. Male dominance remains unconfirmed or unknown at Elrond’s Council, Jaxx and Nightwatch.

Find the June 2024 Meerkatter here.

Click here for the June 2024 Life History File.

The June 2024 Group Territory Map can be found here.

Ubuntu Dominant Male Greebo
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Ubuntu Dominant Female Agazoth
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

The Ubuntu are highlighted in the May 2024 Meerkatter. Ubuntu was formed in September 2016 by evicted Baobab females and wild males. The group was featured in 2021’s Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty  with then-dominant female Daisy (VBBF111), great granddaughter of the famous Flower Whiskers (VWF026), and then-dominant male Scar (VUBM021) – one of Ubuntu’s original wild males. Today, Agazoth (VUBF039) is Ubuntu’s dominant female and Greebo (VHMM048) the dominant male.

Happily, in May, more LAST SEEN meerkats made their reappearances including Gold Diggers adult subordinate females Ricky Baker (VGDF031), Maya II (VGDF039) and Mikasa (VGDF042) as well as former Zulus adult subordinate female littermates Salazar (VZUF051) and Helga (VZUF052). These two natal Zulus sisters are part of a new group dubbed Hogwarts (Zulus 5).

Jaxx Leonard in 2023
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Jaxx Howard Moon
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Male dominance remains unconfirmed at Whiskers, Elrond’s Council and Jaxx. Previous Jaxx dominant male Leonard (VLM221) was given his LAST SEEN. Jaxx adult subordinate male Howard Moon (VJXM165) appeared lethargic and struggled to keep up with the group. Jaxx adult subordinate female (and former dominant female) Baloo (VJXF080) was seen limping and showing signs of fatigue. She is 9.5 years old.

Female dominance at Whiskers remains unsettled. Yearling female littermates Gnoll (VWF262) and Medusa (VWF263) have been displaying dominance behaviors and competing for dominance.

Side Quest yearling subordinate female Toupie (VSIF019) was given her LAST SEEN. She had sustained a serious injury to her belly and right inner thigh.

Vetkoeks yearling subordinate male Brego (VVKM004) was also given his LAST SEEN, bringing the group size down to just four individuals.

Vetkoeks Mooncake and Brego in 2023
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Side Quest Toupie in 2023
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Find The May 2024 Meerkatter here.

Click here for the May 2024 Life History Chart.

The May 2024 Group Territory Map can be found here.

Gold Diggers Maya II and Ricky Baker
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Side Quest pup, Granita VSIF031
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Whiskers, April 2024
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Autumn in the Kalahari marks the end of the of the roving season for the meerkats. In this month’s Meerkatter,  male and female roving is explained, including how this behavior can affect dominance and group composition.  Breeding season statistics are also provided. The most unsuccessful group in regard to pup survival this past breeding season was the Whiskers. Eight litters were lost before emergence, one pregnancy was aborted and three pups from a marked litter were all lost within four weeks. The most successful group was Side Quest with an 83% pup survival rate.

Male dominance remains unconfirmed at both Elrond’s Council and Jaxx.

Zulus Leona (aka The Unit) VZUF070
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Zulus yearling subordinate Leona (VZUF070) appeared to have sustained a snake bite to her neck resulting in a swollen head and eye.

Vetkoeks April 8, 2024
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Vetkoeks continues to dwindle in size.  The group is down to just four individuals after yearling male Brego (VVKM004) emigrated out this month.

Whiskers Gojo Satoru VWM274
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Male and female dominance continues to be unsettled with Whiskers. Yearling subordinate female Mya (VWF268) and adult subordinate males Rollo (VWM240), Scrabble (VWM253), Clue (VWM255) and Battleship (VWM257) were all given their LAST SEEN. Habituation of one of the three wild males has improved enough for him to be marked and entered into the database as adult subordinate male Gojo Satoru (VWM274)

Find the April 2024 Meerkatter here.

Click here for the April 2024 Life History Chart.

The April 2024 Group Territories Map can be found here.

Alba Dominant Male Pucky VECM023
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

The life and times of the KMP’s current oldest male, Palestrina (VLM211) is highlighted in this month’s Meerkatter. During the course of his life, beloved Palestrina has been dominant male at Zulus, Elrond’s Council and Alba.

Palestrina VLM211
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

The KMP meerkat observers are often rewarded with captivating, entertaining and even comical meerkat events during their routine group visits. But there are also the heartbreaking sightings that are part of meerkats’ natural world. Dramatic witnessed accounts of pup deaths in Dik-Diks and Vetkoeks are recounted in the March Meerkatter.

Pucky (VECM023) has taken the position of dominant male in Alba after half of the eligible males, including Palestrina, submitted to him.

Trackie-Daks Boubou VTDF028
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Female dominance at Trackie-Daks is settled with Boubou (VTDF028) taking on that position following a direct submission from the group’s only other eligible female, littermate Chinchilla (VTDF029).  Trackie-Daks three-legged adult subordinate male Moon Moon (VTSM022) was given his LAST SEEN this month. He was seen two months ago close to Vetkoeks.

Moon Moon VTSM022
Photo by Shaz Alderton

Elrond’s Council adult subordinate female Mojo Jojo (VECF038) is recovering well from a serious snake bite injury to her head that occurred in January.

Jaxx former dominant male Leonard (VLM221) lost his dominance when he did not wake up with the group on March 17.  It is probable that the current dominant female Jub Jub (VJXF160) is his daughter and therefore unlikely that he would mate with her. Leonard’s former partner (and Jub Jub’s mother), adult subordinate Baloo (VJXF080), remains with Jaxx along with her two remaining pups that were born in February.

Jaxx Dominant Female Jub Jub VJXF160
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Nightwatch is now an official KMP group after staying together for two months.

Nightwatch Sushi VTSM0o6
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Adult male Sushi (VTSM006) has visible submandibular TB lumps.  Make-e-Plan is now a disintegrated group.  Of the remaining two members, juvenile female Adonalsium (VMPF092) immigrated into Nightwatch and dominant female Vin (VMPF09)1 was given her LAST SEEN on March 13.

Male and female dominance remains unsettled at Whiskers.  Yearling subordinate females Gnoll (VWF262) and Bruce (VWF266) gave birth this month, but their litters were abandoned.

Elrond’s Council Mojo Jojo
Photo by Laura Salamone-Maiden

Click here for the March 2024 Meerkatter.

Find the March 2024 Life History Chart here.

The March 2024 Group Territories Map can be found here.