Hello,

This is my first post on these forums so hello everybody.

Has anyone been watching the excelent Meerkat Manor on a Sunday on BBC2? The times I've seen it it has been amazing the range of social behaviour that they show, with the commentary it can almost feel like your watching a soap opera rather than a wildlife program. Although much more interesting!

For example in one I was watching a meerkat from a neighbouring and enemy tribe came to the camp to woo a resident of meerkat manor, and she fell for him and sneaked out hen no one was watching to meet him. When her family found out what she had done, none of them would acknowledge her for some time afterwards.

I've seen Meerkat Manor several times and I think it's a brilliant program. What amazes me the most is the range of characters the meerkats have.

Meerkats have been one of my favourite animals for a long time so whenever I get a chance I watch Meerkat manor. The most recent episode I saw was when shakespeare (a courageous meerkat for those of you who haven't seen the program!) was bitten by a venomous snake.

Did he survive? I didn't fancy his chances especially as he couldn't hunt.

I haven't seen the show, but it sounds very interesting. I didn't realize meerkats had such developed personalities.

Your description of their society reminds me of the area where my in-laws live.

Sounds like a great program, what time is it on?

I think it's on at 7pm Sunday on BB2 although I could be wrong.

Haha, where do your in laws live?

Who saw it last night?

One of the younger female meerkats has been ejected from the tribe so she's living and surviving on her own now. The dominant female also made the tribe move burrows so that one of the other females baby would have to be left behind and starve to death. It was a fairly brutal and unforgiving episode!

I cant believe that I keep missing this program, is it still on?

It is still on, and it was (or is) in fact, a real ongoing study of meerkat behaviour. The study is to last ten years, but I do not know when the study actually started.  Some of the first episodes may be purchased on DVD.

There are various narrators for the program, depending upon the country in which one is viewing.  It's currently to be seen in the UK/Canada, the USA, and Australia.

Kingfisher

Thanks for that, I will make a point of catching it, I have heard so much about it.Jane

The study is being performed by Cambridge university. It really is fascinatin stuff so check it out next week if you can!