There must be other fans of this Animal Planet show among us pet lovers...if you haven't seen it, you gotta!

OMG, I love the little Meerkats. They are AMAZING!!! I thought about making this post, but I thought. No, no one else is wild about Meerkats. I have been watching it since the start. So sad about Shakespeare--the defender of all. That Flower is one mean Mama. Do not mess with her...she will up and move the entire gang. You will not know what hit ya or where your home is (hee-hee).

(Oh I may have said too much. Perhaps I am a little too enthusiastic about Meerkats. :oops: )

I'm catching the show late, so I'm seeing it out of order. Of course then I went to IMDB so I know more than I should. I saw the one where Shakespeare got bit by the puff adder and learned how that turned out (see how I avoided the spoiler there?) but haven't seen the followup episode yet. Those little meerkats are something else!

I'm catching the show late, so I'm seeing it out of order. Of course then I went to IMDB so I know more than I should. I saw the one where Shakespeare got bit by the puff adder and learned how that turned out (see how I avoided the spoiler there?) but haven't seen the followup episode yet. Those little meerkats are something else!

"Spoiler"...Yeah. I have to work on not spoiling it. They re-run season one and two a couple of times now. I wonder when season 3 will start?

The thing about the Meerkats is it is such a revealing lesson in not just animal behavior but primal behavior or natural instinct. Flower is nto being mean when she attacks a pregnant female or moves the borrough. She is protecting the entire gang. Too many babies and there are not enough Meerkats to watch them and help raise them. Meerkats without proper care die. Meerkat gangs survive by being large in number. Viewers also get to see how much intellect these animals have, how everything they do is calculated so that they may survive.

The babies are sooooooooo cute. Hard to believe they are only the size of my thumb.

I love this show and I dont know why. It really is a great show.

This morning I was psyched, thinking I'd have a few more episodes on the DVR. Then I realized that I was thinking it's Saturday (nope, I'm off for Good Friday). Good summary of the whys and wherefores, Gisele. This is reality TV at its finest!

Did anyone watch Meerkat Manor tonight? It was a difficult hour to watch. These are the two shows that I avoided before, then half watched the second time around. Tonight I peaked through squinting, hand covered eyes.

R-Ace did you watch?

[QUOTE=gisele]OMG, I love the little Meerkats. They are AMAZING!!!QUOTE]

Love watching that show when I catch it, too. My Service dog, Borias, knows what a meerkat is by name, since we visit the zoo frequently. I love taking pictures of his encounters with them. It's fun to watch, because they are extremely curious, and come right up to the glass to peer at him. One time he let out a little bark, and they all jumped out of their skins and dashed into the nearest hole, then re-emerged just a couple seconds later. Another time, a few started digging at the ground where my dog was, and he then started to dig there, too! Cracked me up.
Here's one pic :)
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h116/Tamandra/IMG_0493.jpg
Tami and Borias
http://heartdogstudios.com

Yeah, I saw them Gisele. Pretty amazing about Shakespeare. And that stupid Youssarian...what is his damage, anyway?!? I guess the film crew isn't going to interfere, no matter what, which is as it should be.

I'm amazed every time I watch it by the pictures they get. Below ground, above ground, on the run, hawk in the tree, etc. Really an incredible series. I've got seven episodes on DVR now but hope to get the other 19 :D

Hey all,
We are big fans too, but the biggest fan of all is our Maine Coon boy, EddieMac. He is glued to the tube, just like Borias above (although I can't even begin to imagine what would happen if he saw real ones like Borias, wow!), not the zoo window.
Borias eh? Any Warrior Princess fans in da house?? LOL! :-P
KM

[QUOTE=gisele]OMG, I love the little Meerkats. They are AMAZING!!!QUOTE]

Love watching that show when I catch it, too. My Service dog, Borias, knows what a meerkat is by name, since we visit the zoo frequently. I love taking pictures of his encounters with them. It's fun to watch, because they are extremely curious, and come right up to the glass to peer at him. One time he let out a little bark, and they all jumped out of their skins and dashed into the nearest hole, then re-emerged just a couple seconds later. Another time, a few started digging at the ground where my dog was, and he then started to dig there, too! Cracked me up.
Here's one pic :)
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h116/Tamandra/IMG_0493.jpg
Tami and Borias
http://heartdogstudios.com

Oh Heartdog, I love this photo. Thanks for posting. I guess Borias speaks Meerkat :D

Yeah, I saw them Gisele. Pretty amazing about Shakespeare. And that stupid Youssarian...what is his damage, anyway?!? I guess the film crew isn't going to interfere, no matter what, which is as it should be.

I'm amazed every time I watch it by the pictures they get. Below ground, above ground, on the run, hawk in the tree, etc. Really an incredible series. I've got seven episodes on DVR now but hope to get the other 19 :D

Youssarian has endangered pups three time now. He's such an idiot. I wish Flower would banish him!! Two times Shakespeare (maybe 3) has been a hero. Mitch grows up to be a good guy too.

After the episode, I told my husband I know the researchers cannot interfere (it is the right thing) but I don't think I could have left that baby there to die. I didn't look at any of that. Unfortunately the closing shot of the show showed the pup. Very, very sad.

I wondered if Youssarian's idiotic move was related to the dissing he got from Zaphod at the beginning of the episode. I.e. was it payback for being dissed?

I keep forgetting how tiny these animals are...at the beginning, when they show them with humans you really see how diminutive they are.

Anyway, here's a little trivia tidbit for you meerkat fans, about Sean Astin, narrator:

Astin was born in Santa Monica, California. He is the son of actors Patty Duke and John Astin, although his biological father is Michael Tell, a music promoter and writer of Jewish heritage who divorced Patty Duke shortly before her marriage to Astin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Astin

I wondered if Youssarian's idiotic move was related to the dissing he got from Zaphod at the beginning of the episode. I.e. was it payback for being dissed?

I keep forgetting how tiny these animals are...at the beginning, when they show them with humans you really see how diminutive they are.

Anyway, here's a little trivia tidbit for you meerkat fans, about Sean Astin, narrator:

Astin was born in Santa Monica, California. He is the son of actors Patty Duke and John Astin, although his biological father is Michael Tell, a music promoter and writer of Jewish heritage who divorced Patty Duke shortly before her marriage to Astin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Astin

Didn't know that...I thought John Astin (Mr. Addams, right?) was his dad.

You know Ace, that is a good point. First time, I thought Youssarian was just out of sorts and jittery because of what Zaphod did. The second time Youssarain seemed like he wanted to kill/harm the pups...as payback. That was probably always his intent.

Yeah, I guess John "Gomez Addams" Astin was his adoptive father, hence the name---but not his biological one. His birthname was Duke.

If I recall correctly, Youssarian was dominant male to Flower's dominant female. So it's like Rick Springfield, a case of "You know I wish that I had Zaphod's girl..." Besides which Zaphod stole his breakfast, didn't eat it, gave it to another meerkat that didn't eat it. Totally messing with his head.

"You know I wish that I had Zaphod's girl..."

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

...why can't I find a meerkat like that?

BTW the Chipmunks did a good cover of Jessie's Girl.

"Jessie's got himself a squirrel and I wanna make her mine."

Ahem.

I notice in IMDB that Sean Astin was Mikey in "The Goonies." Who knew?

But seriously, Youssarian is always on the make, cruising for available females, even babysitters at the Lazuli (? or was it the commando) burrow. Thing is, from a behavioral perspective, Youssarian's behavior doesn't quite make sense. If he wanted to kill his brother's kids (or Flower's), well, these were neither. Tosca and Mozart were pg by other meerkats, and presumably roamers since they don't inbreed.

I guess we can dispense with spoiler alerts here, eh? The thing about that pup dying: yeah, it's pretty sad. OTOH if they rescued Shakespeare (take him to a vet for care etc.) after the puff adder bit him twice, we wouldn't have seen how they can in fact recover. Remember when Mitch got carried off but was luckily recovered by Shakespeare? So obviously, the triumphs are sweeter but yeah the losses are a downer.

I guess they did intervene once, when Big Cy was found to have a disease (TB?) that would have wiped them all out.

Final random thought: It must have been a lot of fun naming them. Kinkajou is the best name, followed by Pancake.

R-Ace,
I so enjoyed that post. You were all over the place, and fun-ny. The chipmunks--squirrels--ROFL.

I like the names, too. When I get another dog it just might have to be Kinkajou.

-g

Glad you enjoyed it, Gisele. Made me think of a piece on NPR some weeks back:

"...a wonderful new short by the uniquely fantastic David Sedaris who tells a story of star-crossed rodent love -- or as Ira put it, it's a story "about a squirrel, and a chipmunk, and a love that could never be."

http://hlhdrew.typepad.com/the_typewriter/nprpri/index.html

They never had anything to talk about. I think it was the squirrel who finally said he liked jazz and the chipmunk quickly agreed, happy for something to say. But then she began wondering if jazz might be something like a radical cult and she regretted it. The distance between them began to grow...

Ahem. But you know, Flower could have killed ALL the pups before Youssarian even got the chance, so at least most of them survived.

And I guess if you don't pass along your genes, what's the point? Youssarian isn't going to be satisfied till he's...well, satisfied :D He's a rogue element for sure.

They mentioned that maybe he perceived a threat, prompting him to move the pups, but then I didn't catch any other reference to it. Maybe they didn't see it but there was something there? In one episode they found an owl feather---not an owl, but an owl feather---and that put them into a panic. We're stuck with our own brain and its biases, so if we're not careful we end up LOOKING for evidence instead of what meerkats do---SMELLING for it. So who knows? Maybe he was right to move them. It's hard to argue with the wisdom of the organism.

In college, a philosophy prof had us check out this book some years ago:

http://www.amazon.com/Ethology-Mechanisms-Evolution-James-Gould/dp/0393014886/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-0979389-8693559?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176039310&sr=1-1

Very enlightening look at Ethology. Many have never heard of this science, but basically one if its major tenets says that if you want to understand animal behavior, that has to happen in situ, not in the lab. Most scientists would want to take one meerkat into the lab and try to decode its behavior. Good luck with that!

This American Life...I really enjoy that program. I used to listen to it every week, it came on around Fiona Richie. Now it comes on in the middle of the day, I think during the week even. (Well, our public radio stations just underwent major changes Jan '07, it may be back on the weekend). I did hear the Iraqi and the American soldier story just a few weeks ago. Don't know how I missed "star crossed love". I have to download Real Audio to hear it, I'll be doing that today :) (Ira Glass--yeah, like him. Amy Sedaris--odd voice but funny story teller. She's been on Letterman a few times, or was it Conan:? )

Thanks for the tip on the book. Amazon wants $72.80!:shock: I don't think so. I'll find it cheaper somewhere...maybe my library will have (public or university). I had never heard of this as a science--but it makes perfect sense.

Good point about Flower and the babies; I feel better now (smile)

This American Life...I really enjoy that program. I used to listen to it every week, it came on around Fiona Richie. Now it comes on in the middle of the day, I think during the week even. (Well, our public radio stations just underwent major changes Jan '07, it may be back on the weekend). I did hear the Iraqi and the American soldier story just a few weeks ago. Don't know how I missed "star crossed love". I have to download Real Audio to hear it, I'll be doing that today :) (Ira Glass--yeah, like him. Amy Sedaris--odd voice but funny story teller. She's been on Letterman a few times, or was it Conan:? )

Thanks for the tip on the book. Amazon wants $72.80!:shock: I don't think so. I'll find it cheaper somewhere...maybe my library will have (public or university). I had never heard of this as a science--but it makes perfect sense.

Good point about Flower and the babies; I feel better now (smile)

It was David Sedaris. Why do I know that name, Amy Sedaris? Anyway, yeah, you can always catch a podcast I guess.

As for the book, it's one of many books on Ethology. I noticed it was steep, but I bet there are many more current (updated and less expensive ones) if you're interested. I really liked it b/c it was comprehensible to laypersons and covered a wide variety of animals, insects, etc.

Here's a tidbit: I may have a detail or two wrong, but: an Ethologist named von Uexkull was studying ticks. All they do is climb and wait for the scent of a mammal. A particular scent---butyric acid---is emitted by all mammals, so when the tick smells it, she jumps. If she lands on the mammal, great. If not she climbs back up and waits again. She gorges on blood, drops, lays eggs, and dies.

But get this: they can wait for *17 years!*

And it talks about being blind to our own blindness. If you compare us to the rest of the animal world, we have lost so much of our sense of smell that compared to other animals, it would be on the order of qualifying us as "legally blind." Similarly, some (all?) crabs can actually watch the sun move in the sky [phrased wrong, of course, b/c the sun doesn't move/we do. But that's what the book said.]

Or like they couldn't figure how bats navigated for a long time. As you may know, they emit ultra high frequencies that bounce off objects, and they can gauge from the time it takes the sound to return to their ears. But until we invented a device that could detect frequencies outside our hearing range, they were stumped.

And some animals have senses we don't have at all. A rattlesnake can sense infrared (heat) through sensors on its head---useful for catching mice etc. in the dark. Some (all?) pigeons have magnets in their heads that they use like a compass for homing. Some fish project electromagnetic fields around themselves that trip and indicate the presence of prey.

Pretty mind-blowing stuff!

It was David Sedaris. Why do I know that name, Amy Sedaris?

Brain scramble--I meant Sara Vowel (sp?) She's the storyteller with the funny voice, been on late night tv because of her books and TAL. Amy Sedaris came out of my mouth/mind because Sedaris as in David, but I am also a big fan of Amy Sedaris. She's an actor, writer, comedienne. Have you ever seen "Strangers with Candy"? That's a hoot...really sick...but really funny.

And it talks about being blind to our own blindness. If you compare us to the rest of the animal world, we have lost so much of our sense of smell that compared to other animals, it would be on the order of qualifying us as "legally blind." Similarly, some (all?) crabs can actually watch the sun move in the sky [phrased wrong, of course, b/c the sun doesn't move/we do. But that's what the book said.]

Yeah, humans have evolved/devolved greatly. The tick thing is making me paranoid. I have so many deer in my back yard. I am convinced they all carry Lyme Disease. There really pretty though!

Or like they couldn't figure how bats navigated for a long time. As you may know, they emit ultra high frequencies that bounce off objects, and they can gauge from the time it takes the sound to return to their ears. But until we invented a device that could detect frequencies outside our hearing range, they were stumped.


Pretty mind-blowing stuff!

Yes, it is. ARe you a science teacher. Who needs Discovery Channel with you around :smile:


*That song by Bad Touch just went through my head..."You and me baby we ain't nothing but mammals so let's do it like they do it on the Discovery Channel."*

I am also a big fan of Amy Sedaris. She's an actor, writer, comedienne. Have you ever seen "Strangers with Candy"? That's a hoot...really sick...but really funny.[/I][/COLOR]

Right, that's why I know that name!

Yeah, humans have evolved/devolved greatly. The tick thing is making me paranoid. I have so many deer in my back yard. I am convinced they all carry Lyme Disease. There really pretty though!

Zackly. Reminds me of some comedian who said we're all very cautious about buying dolphin safe tuna...but what about the tuna?! Maybe if they learned a few tricks we wouldn't be so cavalier about eating them!



Yes, it is. ARe you a science teacher. Who needs Discovery Channel with you around :smile:


Nope. I didn't much like bio, loved chem, hated physics. I guess the big draw here was the totally different mindset.

E.g. they posed the question: "When babies smile, is it hardwired instinct or learning from the environment?" Answer...?

Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...
Jeopardy theme plays...

la! la la la la! la! la! (boom, boom!)

It's instinct. A regular scientist might want to blind fold some babies as one group, have a control group, all that. Ethical problems? Oh yeah. But ethologists simply note that babies who are born blind begin smiling at the same time. If they can't see, they can't witness other people smiling, so it must be instinct. How much did you wager?

See, they don't need to interfere or contrive to figure out everything. It's a different logic. I chewed right through this book. Then I bought another copy and read it.

*That song by Bad Touch just went through my head..."You and me baby we ain't nothing but mammals so let's do it like they do it on the Discovery Channel."*

:-P

It's instinct. A regular scientist might want to blind fold some babies as one group, have a control group, all that. Ethical problems? Oh yeah. But ethologists simply note that babies who are born blind begin smiling at the same time. If they can't see, they can't witness other people smiling, so it must be instinct. How much did you wager?

I lost it all. I thought for sure it was a learned behavior. Besides, how do you know that the baby is smiling (mimicking an observed behavior) or has gas?!

I understand they all learn to smile at the same stage of development, but why are they smiling. Perhaps they are testing out new facial muscles that are developing? I think the behavior is not a "smile" as we know it. Meaning the action that looks like a smile, has nothing to do with expressing pleasure or happiness.

Does that make sense?

I am going to have to get this book. I am intrigued.

See, they don't need to interfere or contrive to figure out everything. It's a different logic. I chewed right through this book. Then I bought another copy and read it.
:-P
:lol:

All I can say about babies and gas is that when I get gas, I'm not smiling. :???: Seriously though, they do have the grasp reflex and the sucking reflex, so why not a smiling reflex?

As I mentioned, if it's a question of buying you can probably find something cheaper. Search for sociobiology, behavioral genetics, instinct, and similar terms. OTOH if you can find it in a library or a Half-Price books, go for it!

One thing: you *do* run the risk of beginning to look at animals as machines. But who's to say we aren't all driven by a number of instincts that we don't recognize? Notice too the number of things meerkats and other animals still have to teach.

I grabbed my copy off the shelf. Roughly 600 pages long and they missed meerkats completely! The author notes that ground squirrels sound warning calls, too, btw.

You may be interested to know that one ethologist, E.O. Wilson, says that there are seven species-specific characteristics of humans.

1) Property rights
2) Body adornment
3) Incest taboo
4) Sexual roles
5) Rites of Passage
6) Intraspecific war
7) Belief in the supernatural.

Are these genetically-transmitted or coincidental or...? The neo-cortex that separates us from meerkats et al. makes it all pretty hard to sort out.

And finally, I think there's spill among other topics. Dreams, hypnosis, precognition...I think they're all connected to Ethology.

One thing: you *do* run the risk of beginning to look at animals as machines. But who's to say we aren't all driven by a number of instincts that we don't recognize? Notice too the number of things meerkats and other animals still have to teach.

Did you see "Saving Grace", the story of Phillipa (the host of Barking Mad) saving an orphaned otter and raising her to be returned to the wild? The story was chronicled on the Internet, too. Anyway, they had to teach the otter to swim, it was not instinctive (instinctual??).


You may be interested to know that one ethologist, E.O. Wilson, says that there are seven species-specific characteristics of humans.

1) Property rights - this is a joke, right? What about territorial animals?
2) Body adornment
3) Incest taboo
4) Sexual roles
5) Rites of Passage
6) Intraspecific war
7) Belief in the supernatural.

Are these genetically-transmitted or coincidental or...? The neo-cortex that separates us from meerkats et al. makes it all pretty hard to sort out.



I’ve read that humans' cognitive system stops us from being able to adapt…to pretty much anything. We are naturally risk adverse and always try to control things or create an environment of certainty. Think about it, that line of thought plays into so many different areas of life: laws, who we interact with, what we are able to learn, etc.

Did you see "Saving Grace", the story of Phillipa (the host of Barking Mad) saving an orphaned otter and raising her to be returned to the wild? The story was chronicled on the Internet, too. Anyway, they had to teach the otter to swim, it was not instinctive (instinctual??).

Yeah, I saw an episode of that. Pretty interesting. I suppose it's like they say: nature loads the gun, but environment pulls the trigger. I.e. you may have the genes but unless environment provides the stimulus, the genes lie dormant.

BTW I remember her from "Robot Wars." :D

I’ve read that humans' cognitive system stops us from being able to adapt…to pretty much anything. We are naturally risk adverse and always try to control things or create an environment of certainty. Think about it, that line of thought plays into so many different areas of life: laws, who we interact with, what we are able to learn, etc.

Yes I'd say we're a xenophobic bunch. No wonder the lines on the maps change so often!

BTW I meant to mention about Youssarian: after his initial debacle with moving the burrow, he was isolated. I don't think they said, and I wondered if A) Flower managed to figure it out, or B) he separated himself from the group. Either way, being ostracized, perhaps he was simply asserting himself as [still] part of the group.

Youssarian - yes, didn't he sleep one or two nights in a burrow by himself?

Robot Wars? - What is that?

Youssarian - yes, didn't he sleep one or two nights in a burrow by himself?

Robot Wars? - What is that?

They said Y. spent the night outside one night, then in a (totally?) different burrow another night. So either he wasn't feeling the love or they pushed him out for a time.

Robot Wars was a show where people built robots and the robots did battle. They weren't human-like robots, but they were remotely controlled. Some had spinning discs, others had axes, still others had flippers that could throw the others out of the arena. Great show to watch (with the sound down...the announcing could be kinda hokey.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0163488/

Edit: Here's a link to one of many battles. These bots had a weight limit of 100 kg as I recall, so 220 lbs!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HD-mK10i6mY

Meerkat Manor focuses on a gang called "The Whiskers". The show airs Friday, 8 pm ET.

Meet the Meerkats at http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/meerkat.html

This is a really cool website that lets you explore the burrow, tour a meerkat, and meet the Whisker family--40 meerkats strong.

Meerkat info:
· Meerkats live in southern part of Africa, which is dominated by the Kalahari desert.
· The Meerkats on Animal Planet’s Meerkat Manor are under study by Cambridge University researchers and live in a 3 square mile area of the Kalahari
· The average rainfall is 12 inches (300 millimeters) which comes between January and April. This is towards the end of the summer. There is little surface water but there is quite a bit of moisture below the sand.
· The name Meerkat comes from the Afrikaans (Dutch population of South Africa). The English translation is marsh cat, although Meerkats don't live near marshes and they are not cats. Their proper scientific name is Suricata suricatta.(Class - Mammalia , Order - Carnivora , Family - Viverridae.) They were first named in 1776.
General characteristics:
· Height: 12 inches (30 centimeters).
· Weight: 2 pounds (0.9 kilograms).
· Competitiveness: Meerkats are very territorial and will fiercely defend their home from other meerkat gangs.

31533

Sources: discovery channel, meerkats.com, meerkat.net

One factoid not mentioned in Gisele's summary: meerkats are actually members of the mongoose family, according to Wikipedia. That would explain why they don't shy away from snakes.

Tomorrow night, they turn them loose again on Animal Planet. Be there or be square!

One factoid not mentioned in Gisele's summary: meerkats are actually members of the mongoose family, according to Wikipedia. That would explain why they don't shy away from snakes.

Tomorrow night, they turn them loose again on Animal Planet. Be there or be square!

R_Ace I think you and I are Meerkat groupies :D

Guilty as charged!:razz: Or are we hangers-on?

OK, so the latest episodes...both are from season 1 and I was disappointed. The narrator talks about how Flower made up her mind, Mozart is out, and it sounds all permanent. But then she is allowed back in. In the second season, I know she's back but pregnant and later, Flower up and moves burrows, so she's abandoned to take care of the pups herself. :confused:

OK, so the latest episodes...both are from season 1 and I was disappointed. The narrator talks about how Flower made up her mind, Mozart is out, and it sounds all permanent. But then she is allowed back in. In the second season, I know she's back but pregnant and later, Flower up and moves burrows, so she's abandoned to take care of the pups herself. :confused:
Flowers daughters (and Flower, too) reproduced like rabbits. I can't keep 'em straight.

If I have my timeline straight, I know what happened. Let me know if you want me to tell you. -g

Based on IMDB's recap of each

http://imdb.com/title/tt0765725/

I think I have my bearings. I guess the narration is misleading. They just make the oustings sound permanent, when in fact they are ostracized for awhile, and/or they may take some abuse, but then they're allowed back in.

Like when Shakespeare got bitten twice by a puff adder. If the venom is that bad, wouldn't it kill a little meerkat? I thought it was a miracle, but maybe they're exaggerating for drama's sake. That might be okay if it weren't supposed to be a documentary, you know? :mad: Kicked out once and allowed back in...ok. But multiple times? Makes me wonder if they really know their science.

I'll just say this...ONe of Flower's daughter's got pregnant and was kicked out.
Meerkats cannot survive alone; they need the protection of the "family" gang from predators as well as other Meerkat gangs.

Family also help to rear the young and they groom each other to keep clean (warding off health problems and such).

The daughter given the boot was seen several times alone; lurking hoping to get back in. She looked so ratty (poor thing). She had a one night affair with Carlos (he's always on the prowl); but it was a love 'em and leave 'em type thing. ___ was alone again. She is assumed to have died because she was never seen again.

From IMDB

Season 1

Start with Mozart in the group.


Season 1, Episode 6: Boys Will Be Boys
Original Air Date: 2005
Flower is a tough leader who doesn't hesitate to evict her own children if she thinks it's the best for the group, and with Mozart already gone [emphasis mine], Flower now try to push out her other daughter and litter producer - Tosca. Mitch eats something bad.

[Note: by the end of this episode, if memory serves, Flower has let Mozart back into the group]


Season 2

Season 2, Episode 4: The Iron Lady
Original Air Date: 6 October 2006
The Whiskers finds unguarded and unhidden tortoise eggs but they prove frustratingly difficult to crack for some of the younger meerkats. Mozart gets in Flower's bad books again after mating with Stinker, ex-lover Carlos' granddad.

[So at some point, Mozart must have rejoined if A) Flower is not happy and B) they can't survive on their own]

Season 2, Episode 5: No Place Like Home
Original Air Date: 13 October 2006
Mozart has been evicted from her family again and is baring a nasty wound from Flower's nasty bite. It's important that she get back into the group soon or she might suffer Tosca's suspected fate. Mozart might be early in her pregnancy but Flower is going into labor any day now and is in a right mood, stealing food from pups of her earlier litter.

[evicted again...#2 eviction]

Season 2, Episode 10: Balance of Power
Original Air Date: 27 October 2006
A subordinate meerkat evicting someone from the family is extremely unusual but in this episode, Mozart does just that to one of her sisters. Will this backfire on Mozart, or will Flower - who is supposed to be the leader - continue to tolerate this? As if things weren't strange enough already, Flower kills and devours a very large catch. The babysitting doesn't go smoothly as one of Youssarian's nieces wanders off while under his watch.

[So she has rejoined a second time]

Season 2, Episode 12: The Godmother
Original Air Date: 10 November 2006
Winter is fast approaching. Mozart is left to face the same dilemma her sister Daisy struggled with in "Meerkat Manor: Daisy's Choice (#1.9)" (2005).
Season 2, Episode 13: The Killing Fields
Original Air Date: 10 November 2006
After being idle for several days, Mozart is finally forced to leave her pups for the time being and go out to find food so she can provide milk for them before it's too late. At the same time, the rest of the Whiskers are out foraging too and Daisy is left babysitting Millie, Shelley and Bing. Meanwhile, there are some unwelcome visitors closing in on them all.

[evicted again...#3]

I'm saying the narration leads you to believe it's permanent when in fact, it isn't. Makes it more dramatic, but documentaries should be factual.

From IMDB

Season 1

Start with Mozart in the group.


Season 1, Episode 6: Boys Will Be Boys
Original Air Date: 2005
Flower is a tough leader who doesn't hesitate to evict her own children if she thinks it's the best for the group, and with Mozart already gone [emphasis mine], Flower now try to push out her other daughter and litter producer - Tosca. Mitch eats something bad.

[Note: by the end of this episode, if memory serves, Flower has let Mozart back into the group]


Season 2

Season 2, Episode 4: The Iron Lady
Original Air Date: 6 October 2006
The Whiskers finds unguarded and unhidden tortoise eggs but they prove frustratingly difficult to crack for some of the younger meerkats. Mozart gets in Flower's bad books again after mating with Stinker, ex-lover Carlos' granddad.

[So at some point, Mozart must have rejoined if A) Flower is not happy and B) they can't survive on their own]

Season 2, Episode 5: No Place Like Home
Original Air Date: 13 October 2006
Mozart has been evicted from her family again and is baring a nasty wound from Flower's nasty bite. It's important that she get back into the group soon or she might suffer Tosca's suspected fate. Mozart might be early in her pregnancy but Flower is going into labor any day now and is in a right mood, stealing food from pups of her earlier litter.

[evicted again...#2 eviction]

Season 2, Episode 10: Balance of Power
Original Air Date: 27 October 2006
A subordinate meerkat evicting someone from the family is extremely unusual but in this episode, Mozart does just that to one of her sisters. Will this backfire on Mozart, or will Flower - who is supposed to be the leader - continue to tolerate this? As if things weren't strange enough already, Flower kills and devours a very large catch. The babysitting doesn't go smoothly as one of Youssarian's nieces wanders off while under his watch.

[So she has rejoined a second time]

Season 2, Episode 12: The Godmother
Original Air Date: 10 November 2006
Winter is fast approaching. Mozart is left to face the same dilemma her sister Daisy struggled with in "Meerkat Manor: Daisy's Choice (#1.9)" (2005).
Season 2, Episode 13: The Killing Fields
Original Air Date: 10 November 2006
After being idle for several days, Mozart is finally forced to leave her pups for the time being and go out to find food so she can provide milk for them before it's too late. At the same time, the rest of the Whiskers are out foraging too and Daisy is left babysitting Millie, Shelley and Bing. Meanwhile, there are some unwelcome visitors closing in on them all.

[evicted again...#3]

I'm saying the narration leads you to believe it's permanent when in fact, it isn't. Makes it more dramatic, but documentaries should be factual.
Yes, those synopses and perhaps editing lead us to believe eviction is permanent. The situation I was referring to also leads the viewer to believe a second eviction or scorn is permanent. ___ is in a disheveled state, living alone, and is never heard from again. But viewers don't actually know the time line. I hope that factual research isn't sacrificed for entertainment or drama (a little soap opera, isn't it?) But I love it--Meerkat Manor, not soap operas.

The truth of the matter is probably that if a meerkat is evicted, she can sometimes earn her way back in. As I recall, in one case Flower probably figured that Mozart could feed her [Flower's] pups, so she had a usefulness to the group. Just lucky on her part? Maybe.

Also, it seems that the second time, the punishment from Flower was more severe. Not that that stopped Mozart from getting pregnant again, of course, but it should make her think carefully. Hormones and thinking never go together, however, and if she isn't passing along her genes then what's her raison d'être in terms of evolution?

And then, there's the Youssarian syndrome: he is always on the prowl, and if he could overthrow Zaphod, he'd be in business. Likewise if Mozart could ever successfully overthrow Flower, she'd make the rules, have lots of her own pups, etc.

I'd just like the narration to be accurate.

Catch an all new season of Meerkat Manor starting August 10th at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT

Haven't been watching...catch up on Saturdays on Animal Planet or visit the really cool website (http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/meerkat.html).

You may not know this but I am a Meerkat Manor freak. I simply love this show.

In the last episode an new Meerkat was profiled named Rocket Dog! I couldn't stop laughing. I didn't think I heard it correctly. So I watched the re-broadcast on Monday. Sure enough, it's Rocket Dog--a dominant female.

Promo tease from Meerkat Manor:
Will Rocket Dog's power be checked? As this season of Meerkat Manor comes to a close, it's obvious that nothing in the Whisker family will ever be the same!

Where's Rhythm Ace, he loved the Meerkat's too.

You may not know this but I am a Meerkat Manor freak. I simply love this show.

In the last episode an new Meerkat was profiled named Rocket Dog! I couldn't stop laughing. I didn't think I heard it correctly. So I watched the re-broadcast on Monday. Sure enough, it's Rocket Dog--a dominant female.

Promo tease from Meerkat Manor:
Will Rocket Dog's power be checked? As this season of Meerkat Manor comes to a close, it's obvious that nothing in the Whisker family will ever be the same!

Where's Rhythm Ace, he loved the Meerkat's too.

Yeah, my daughter pointed that out to me too. Figured it was a matter of time before you started in on me. :rolleyes: