Jan 23 2010
At the peak of the summer season here, precious rain combines with heat to create a time of abundance in the Kalahari. And this abundance means the time is right for reproduction. Three meerkat groups that are closely monitored by our researchers on a daily basis have all shown signs of pregnancy and pups. The alpha female of a group dominating over the Gosa Ground Dam area has recently given birth to 6 pups, quite a few more than the average litter.
A healthy group of meerkats in the wild usually ranges between 10 and 16 individuals but this specific group now numbers an impressive 24. Just a few days ago we saw the first signs of the pups, which have added a new sense of excitement and playful activity around the burrows, giving us the perfect proof of why the collective noun for these creatures is a ‘mob’ of meerkats.
