Surikate or Meerkat - Suricata suricata

These endearing little animals often associate with ground squirrels and yellow mongoose with whom they share burrows.

Suricates live in dens in large groups. Unlike the dwarf mongoose, several pairs will breed and the entire group assists with raising the young.

They are very much creatures of comfortable habit. Each morning they leave their den after sunrise, visit a communal latrine then sunbathe for an hour or two before they finally set off to forage. After a leisurely midday rest they forage again until late afternoon before meeting outside the den where they relax or play until dusk. If it is a cold or rainy morning, they will rise much later than usual.

When they feed they are most vulnerable, as they spread out to forage in the open but they do always keep visual and vocal contact to be able to warn each other of danger.

They are very poor runners and cannot even outrun man. Their major form of defence is their alterness and their group co-operation. Suricate sentinels, of which there is always one on duty, stand upright on their rear legs to keep a sharp lookout for danger. When they escort young across open ground, some of the adults will run with the youngsters while others act as sentinels.

Lodges and Camps in Botswana: Audi Camp - Camp Moremi -Camp Okuti - Camp Okavango - Chief's Camp - Chitabe Camp - Chobe Game Lodge - Chobe Marina Lodge - Crocodile Camp - Deception Valley Lodge - Delta Safari Camp - Duba Plains Camp - Duma Tau Lodge - Elephant Camp Victoria Falls - Footsteps Camp - Gunn's Camp - Grassland Safari Lodge - Jacana Camp - Kings Pool - Kubu Safari Lodge - Kwara Camp Okavango Delta - Leroo-la-Tau - Linyanti Camp - Little Mombo Camp - Mariolina's Victoria Falls - Mapula Lodge - Mombo Safari Camp - Motsentsela Tree Lodge - Nxabega Okavango Safari Camp - Pom Pom Camp - Sandibe Safari Lodge - Santawani - Savute Safari Lodge - Savuti Camp - Semetsi Camp - Xakanaxa Camp - Xigera Camp - Xugana Lodge

Botswana Destinations: Chief's Island - Chobe National Park - Gemsbok National Park - Kalahari - Khwai - Linyanti - Makgadikgadi Pans - Maun - Moremi Game Reserve - Nogatsaa/Tchinga - Nxai Pan - Okavango Delta - Savute - Tsodilo hills - Tuli Block - Xakanaxa

Zimbabwe Destinations: Victoria Falls

Birds of Botswana: Crowned Plover - Blue Waxbill - Cormorant - Egyptian Goose - Fish Eagle - Grey Lourie - Kingfisher - Kori Bustard - Lilacbreasted Roller - Ostrich - Saddlebilled Stork - Secretary Bird

Mammals of Botswana: African Wild Dog - African Elephant - Baboon - Bat-Eared-Fox - Brown Hyena - Buffalo - Bushpig - Cheetah - Eland - Genet - Giraffe - Hartebeest - Hippo - Impala - Jackal - Kudu - Leopard - Lion - Oryx - Puku - Red Lechwe - Roan Antelope - Sable Antelope - Sitatunga - Slender Mongoose - Spotted Hyena - Springbok - Squirrel - Surikate - Tsessebe - Warthog - Waterbuck - Wildebeest - Zebra

Reptiles of Botswana: African Rock Python - African Crocodile - Black Mamba - Cape Cobra - Chameleon - Gecko - Leopard Tortoise - Monitor Lizard - Mozambican Cobra - Puff Adder