Meerkats

Status

Least Concern
Size

Up to 730g
Threat

Predation
Distribution

Southern Africa
Diet

Omnivore

Meet the adorable and mischievous Meerkats!

The Manor and its interlocking reserves has been purpose-built to replicate the harsh South African desert terrain that Meerkats live in. Here you will find rock formations, towering termite mounds and deep natural sand ideal for digging and burrowing.

Where in the park?

Welcome to the captivating world of Meerkat Manor at Yorkshire Wildlife Park! This lively exhibit offers a window into the fascinating lives of these small yet incredibly social creatures.

Visit Meerkat Manor

SPECIES

Meerkats are small mammals belonging to the Mongoose family.

They live in tight-knit groups called mobs or gangs of between 2 to 40 individuals.

Meerkats and Yellow Mongoose are both found in the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa.

DID YOU KNOW?

Meerkats communicate using complex sounds and use scent to identify group members.

Every Meerkat in the group has a role, including sentry duty to watch out for predators and babysitting for the alpha female.

BREEDING

Female Meerkats will give birth to 2-6 babies after an 11-week gestation period. The group will be dominated by one female and one male breeding pair.

NUMBERS

Meerkats are doing okay in the wild but are threatened by predation. Although they may look cute, meerkats—like all wild animals—do not make good pets and are illegal to own without the proper permits and licenses.

In their native habitat of Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, there are a lot of animals that like to prey on Meerkats and Mongoose, because of this, they have evolved a unique way of avoiding being on the lunch menu. Meerkats will always have a “look out” or “sentry”. The sentry will spend long hours standing out in the open on their hind legs keeping an eye out for danger, you will frequently see our Meerkats doing this throughout the day.

If they spot a predator, Meerkats have a very complex range of vocalisations, for example they use different alarm calls for different predators such as eagles, jackals and snakes.

They also have a close symbiotic relationship with Yellow Mongoose. This means that in exchange for building and sharing their burrows, Mongoose will in return offer the clan protection from larger predators.