Meerkat for Kids Ages 6-8

Meerkat

A friendly meerkat from the Kalahari Desert shares a day in its life. The meerkat explains how its family, called a 'mob,' lives in an underground burrow, finds food like beetles, and works as a team. One of its most important jobs is being a lookout, using the dark patches around its eyes like sunglasses to spot danger. The meerkat also explains how its digging helps the desert ecosystem by mixing the soil so new plants can grow.

First Described 1776

Kalahari Meerkat Project Established c. 1993

A Meerkat's Sunny Day

Hello there! I'm a meerkat, and I want to tell you all about my life in a very sunny place. My home is the Kalahari Desert, where the sand is warm and the sky is big and blue. I don't live by myself! I live with my very big family, and we are called a 'mob.' There are so many of us—my brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles. We all live together in a cozy home we dig under the ground. It’s called a burrow, and it has lots of tunnels that keep us cool during the hot day and safe from other animals at night. We love being together in our burrow.

My day starts when the sun pops up. The first thing my mob and I do is come out of our burrow to warm up in the morning sunshine. It feels so good! After I'm all warmed up, my belly starts to rumble, and it's time to find breakfast. I have long, sharp claws that are perfect for digging in the sand. I use them to find my favorite snacks, like crunchy beetles and even scorpions. But I have another very important job in my family. I am a lookout! I stand up tall on my back legs and look all around for danger. I have to make sure my family is safe while they search for food. Do you see the dark patches of fur around my eyes? They work just like sunglasses, helping me see clearly when the sun is very bright. Meerkats were first scientifically described in 1776 by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber, but it's unclear if their eye patches were specifically noted at that time.

Being part of a mob means we are always a team. We work together on everything, especially taking care of the baby meerkats, which we call pups. They are so small and need everyone to help! We all take turns watching them and bringing them food while their parents are away. We also help our whole desert home without even trying. All of our digging for food and fixing our burrows helps mix up the soil. This makes it easier for new plants to grow. It’s a very big job for a little animal, but my mob and I are proud to be the desert's little gardeners. We help keep our home healthy for everyone who lives here.