Meerkats: Small Animals With a Big Personality

There are few safari sightings that generate as much immediate delight as a meerkat mob emerging from their burrow at sunrise. They stand upright on their hind legs, facing the morning sun to warm themselves, sentinel members scanning the sky — it's one of those scenes that looks almost staged but is entirely real.

Where to find them

Meerkats are native to the arid regions of southern Africa — the Kalahari Desert and surrounding semi-desert scrubland. In South Africa, the best dedicated meerkat experiences are found in the Northern Cape, particularly around Oudtshoorn and the Kalahari. They're not typically found in the major game reserves like Kruger, so seeing them usually requires a specific detour — and it's worth it.

Life in a mob

Meerkats live in groups of 2–30 individuals called mobs or gangs, led by a dominant breeding pair. Every member plays a role: sentinels take turns watching for predators from elevated positions and use distinct alarm calls to communicate the type and direction of a threat — aerial predators get a different call to ground predators, and the mob responds accordingly.

Cooperative behaviour extends to pup-rearing: all adults in the mob help feed and babysit the dominant pair's offspring, even when they're not the biological parents.

What they eat

Meerkats are immune to certain venoms, which allows them to eat scorpions, snakes, and other prey that would be dangerous to most animals their size. They forage by digging with their long claws, and adults teach pups how to handle prey safely — starting with dead or disabled animals before graduating to live ones.

Meerkats are a particular hit with children on safari — the upright posture, the social dynamics, and the sheer accessibility of watching them makes for a memorable experience that tends to stick with kids long after the lions and elephants.

Photography tip

Early morning, just after emergence, is the best time to photograph meerkats. They stand still, face the sun, and are relatively unbothered by quiet observers. Move slowly, stay low if possible, and give them time to settle — patience is rewarded handsomely.