Meerkat
at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens
Quick Facts
The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity.
About Our Meerkat
Meerkats are small, social mammals from the mongoose family, instantly recognisable by their upright stance and curious expressions. They live in close-knit groups, often called mobs or gangs, and are known for their teamwork and constant lookout for danger.
These lively animals are native to the dry regions of southern Africa, including Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and parts of Angola. They thrive in open plains and scrublands, especially areas with loose, sandy soil that’s easy to dig. Meerkats are expert burrowers and create complex underground tunnel systems to shelter from the heat and hide from predators.
Active during the day, meerkats spend their time foraging, playing, and taking turns standing guard. They eat a wide variety of foods but mainly hunt insects like beetles, spiders, termites, and even scorpions.
Meerkat mobs usually include between five and forty members, led by a dominant male and female. The group works together to find food, groom one another, and help raise the young.
At present, meerkats are listed as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), thanks to their stable population in the wild.
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