Playing with
Meerkats!
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| picture by lance mcneill |
The variety of
animals in Botswana is one of my favorite things about this country. I got the
opportunity to go on a game drive that takes you to a plain area above the Salt
Pans in northern Botswana. This is where we got to see Meerkats (think Timon
from The Lion King)!!
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| picture by lance mcneill |
Meerkats live in "clans" and their clan can be up to 50 members! There is usually an alpha pair and most of the rest of the clan members are offspring of the pair. They are burrowing mammals and will often have a network of tunnels and burrows. They usually come up ground to find tasty bugs and scorpions to eat and play. Usually one or more meerkats will stand on their hind legs to keep watch for predators while the rest of the group plays and hunts.
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| picture by e.j. riggs |
The guides took us out in the field and we got to sit and
watch the meerkats play and run all around us. They were soo cute! If you stay really
still they will come up to you and might even climb on top of you! Because
Meerkats are soo small they like to stand up on the highest point they can find
to look out for predators. At one point while my friends and I were watching
them, a meerkat climbed up to the top of my head!! It was hard not to move as he was getting the
best position in my hair.
The Meerkats were so
fascinating and fun to watch. I could have sat there for hours and hours watching them. After
about an hour we had to get going to see some other cool things on our game
drive, but I will always remember my little buddy who decided to use my head as
his observation deck!
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