Meeting the Meerkat

An Avery Madden Crazy Critters Exclusive

Hey there, furry fans and fans of fur alike! I have a very special guest here with me today and that is Mike the Meerkat straight from Africa. Mike is going to tell us about life as a member of the meerkat posse, and of course, what it’s like to be the grand-kid of the super-cool alpha pair.

Avery Madden: Welcome, Mike. Just so you know—you don’t need to worry about my snake, Walter. He’s not poisonous.

Mike Meerkat: Oh, I’m not going to sweat it. Meerkats are immune to poisonous venom anyway. I actually eat scorpions—after I bite off the stinger. I eat some snakes too. They taste just like chicken! Yum!

AM: Uh-oh, snakes? Do I need to look out for my pet snake, Walter?

MM: Nah, there are plenty of other things in my diet that keep me long, thin, and khaki-colored.

AM: So your power snack would be what?

MM: I love insects. Lately, I’ve been on a huge spider kick. But, I need my green veggies, too. I’m definitely a plant dude. And I love eggs.

AM: Me too. Omelets are the best.

MM: Well lizard eggs and ant larvae don’t really make super omelets.

AM: So what’s cookin’ back on the plains, Mike?

MM: I’m from the South African Kalahari Desert, so things can start sizzling pretty quickly. Plus, meerkats are very social animals. We like to beat the heat by singing. Freestyling with the Gang, as I call it. The Meerkat Mambo also rocks!

AM: Whoa ... gang?

MM: Yup. That’s what you call a group of meerkats: a gang or a mob.

AM: Now, I heard you have a very special job in your mob, correct?

MM: Yes, I do. I’m the guard meerkat. I stand on the lookout for predators. I’ll be the first one to tell the gang to retreat to their holes. I’ll also be the first dude to pop back out and bark warnings to the gang to stay in their holes. My official title is a Sentinel.

AM: No way! Our newspaper at Abigail Adams Junior High is called The Sentinel! That’s so cool!

MM: Word.

AM: Ever wish you could be a part of the alpha pair? Be honest.

MM: Well, Marvin—the alpha male in the alpha pair—is actually my grandfather. All the meerkats in a gang are related to the alpha pair in one way or another. That’s how only the strongest meerkats survive. Survival of the fittest and all that.

AM: So then what’s next for meerkats? World domination?

MM: Nah. Right now, sentry duty keeps me pretty busy making sure my gang doesn’t get attacked by predators (mongooses, badgers, snakes and birds of prey, stay away!). And working on getting a record label, of course.

AM: What’s your favorite song these days?

MM: Riki Tiki Tavi by Donovan is probably my number one right now. It’s about a mongoose—the family we meerkats are part of. Also, Africa by Toto never gets old.

AM: Favorite famous meerkat?

MM: Timon from The Lion King. No human has ever played a meerkat like Nathan Lane.

AM: Do you have a celebrity crush?

MM: I think Flower from Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet is really cute.