A Meerkat Diary: My Journey into the Wild World of a Meerkat Mob
Hi My name is Suzi Eszterhas and I am a wildlife photographer who specializes in taking pictures of animals and their young My photos of big animals such as lions whales gorillas and bears get a lot of attention but sometimes the stories behind the pictures of the small animals are the most interesting Meerkats for example are little animals with huge personalities I’ve always loved meerkats but I knew it would be tricky to photograph them They can be shy around people which makes getting close to them with a camera a challenge Meerkats are found in only a few places in Africa so my plan was to go to a tiny area in the heart of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana And since meerkats can have several litters each year it wasn’t long before I found out about a mob with some newborn pups I called my assistant Becky and we packed up and headed to southern Africa I was glad Becky could come along on this adventure She’s a zoologist which means she has studied all kinds of animals including meerkats Her knowledge and experience are different from mine so we make a great team And we always have fun together This is my diary of those exciting few weeks with the meerkats 4
The Makgadikgadi Pan BOTSWANA The Makgadikgadi Pan The Makgadikgadi Pan is in the Kalahari Desert in northeastern Botswana This flat area covered in salt is all that is left of a lake that dried up tens of thousands of years ago Meerkats live on the outer edges of the pan as well as in deserts and grasslands in some areas of the surrounding countries 5
FEBRUARY 2 It was a long trip but we’re finally here Sitting next to the pilot in our little bush plane I could see the Makgadikgadi Pan ahead of us as we flew in This area of flat land is huge as big as the country of Switzerland Suddenly the sunlight got so bright I could barely open my eyes The pilot explained that all the salt left over from the dried-up lake was reflecting the sun A little later we landed on a tiny strip of dirt in the middle of the desert We drove to camp with all our gear Motto and Villa were there waiting to meet us Motto is a meerkat habituator which might just be the coolest job in the world He spends hours every day hanging around the meerkats so they become comfortable around people instead of fearful This gives visitors a very special opportunity to observe meerkats in their natural habitat Villa is a naturalist guide who knows everything about the desert environment He showed us some beautiful photos he’d taken of the meerkats we’ll be meeting tomorrow morning I’m so excited I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep tonight Meet the meerkat team From left to right Motto Keitumetse me Becky Cliffe and Villa Moatshe 6
Becky and I are staying in a beautiful place called Jack’s Camp We’ll be sleeping in a gorgeous tent under palm trees We feel so fortunate and grateful to be here 7
