Large meerkat populations can be found in areas such as The Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve in Botswana, where safaris offer you the chance to observe the creatures during their most active periods of the day.
Meerkats can be hard animals to spot due to the colour of their fur, which enables them to blend in with the desert and thus provides excellent camouflage from predators. Guided tours therefore often represent your best chance of spotting the creatures in the vast landscapes of the Kalahari Desert. Meerkats are active throughout the year and can be observed at any time during daylight hours.
They are particularly busy at sunrise, when they emerge from their burrows to warm up under the sunshine before heading off to forage for food. Adult meerkats are constantly on the move and can travel over one kilometre per day, a considerable distance for a creature of their size. We head out early in the morning, just as the sun begins to rise above the landscape. By the time we arrive on location, "meerkat man" Babile has already been tracking the animals for the better part of an hour.
We follow him to an area of dry grass, and are told to wait. Then, a meerkat pops its tiny head out of a den: it cranes its neck, scanning the landscape for danger, which can come in the form of any carnivorous animal. Once it has determined that things are safe, the animal jumps out. This, we're told, is the sentinel—the meerkat responsible for scanning for predators.
With no danger in sight, another meerkat follows. Try This! Explore More. These squirrel-size members of the mongoose family live in groups as large as 40, and everyone in the mob participates in gathering food, keeping a look out for predators, and taking care of the babies.
Common Name: Meerkat. Scientific Name: Suricata suricatta. Type: Mammals. Diet: Omnivore. Size: Head and body: 9. Weight: Up to 2. Explore more! Amazing animals videos Watch to discover interesting facts about animals from all over the world. The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are one of the top locations for seeing meerkats in Africa. There are three subspecies of meerkats, and Botswana is home to just one, the southern African, or slender-tailed meerkat, Suricata suricatta suricatta.
Meerkats are fairly widespread across much of central and southern Botswana, around the Kalahari Desert. The rolling, vegetated sand dunes provide an ideal habitat for them, with hot, dry conditions and plenty of food.
Arguably the best place to see meerkats in Botswana, indeed anywhere in Africa, is around the Makgadikgadi Pans in the Kalahari Desert. This vast complex of salt pans covers around 10,km2 and is home to numerous meerkat families — known as clans or mobs. Based on 14 reports since June , the camps below have the best chance of seeing meerkats. Simply follow the key below. While meerkats are found in good numbers in Botswana, they are elusive and rarely seen in the wild.
To maximise chances of seeing them consider visiting a habituated mob. Seeing wild meerkats requires a lot of time and patience; they are naturally wary of humans and are easily spooked. Spend time around the central Kalahari and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and you may be able to spot a clan foraging for food while sentinels stand guard.
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