Nestled in the South African Kalahari Desert, lies a truly unique reserve where guests can experience the daily energetic social life of the Meerkat.

There are exclusive luxury private game reservea that provides unparalleled game-viewing. Visitors can encounter the mystical desert safari from the back of an open sided safari vehicle, on horse back or by foot, as guided walks meander across silent red dunes of the Kalahari Reserve. This desert wilderness that is the Kalahari is the historical home of the San People (Bushman) has the largest private concession in Sub-Saharan Africa with over 200 bird species and more than 70 species of mammal including lion, cheetah, desert black rhino, sable and roan antelope and the Meerkat.

These small social carnivores live in close-knit communities called mobs or gangs they depend on one another for survival. If danger is sighted, the sentry gives a warning bark, and the Meerkats flee to the safety of their burrows. When they face the threat of a rival group of Meerkats or a predator, they dig frantically in the sand to create clouds of dust to distract their aggressors. If the threat is a snake, the adults will huddle together with their hair bristling, making themselves as big and tall as they can and drive the predator away. In the community, each Meerkat has special duties. One can see as they emerge from the burrows, selected individuals will stand guard to keep watch for predators. Even as these cooperative breeders wrestle and play about, while sunbathing and grooming one another, they always have a sentry on the lookout.

The Meerkat is immune to the poison from a scorpion or a snake and while most mongooses are nocturnal, Meerkats hunt during the day. Another interesting fact about the Meerkat is that it can dig up about as much sand as it weighs in seconds. The Meerkat uses its tail for balance and as a signal. They have a common latrine that is used by all the members of the gang. Meerkats band together in numbers to frighten off predators many times their size. Although not endangered, the Meerkat is considered a flagship species due to its public popularity. Meerkats live in grass-lined burrows that are shared with ground squirrels and yellow mongooses. Various adults will baby-sit the youngsters while the mother feeds.

Travelers can take trips to Van Zyl's Rus where a group of biologists from Cambridge and Pretoria are investigating the cooperative behaviour of the Meerkat. This Meerkat Project has featured in several recent films of Meerkats, including Animal Planet's very popular Meerkat Manor. A stay at a private retreat is the ideal opportunity to take time to observe the Meerkat from only a few feet away.

By: Gillian Meier

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Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, covers 1000km2 (100 000 ha) of land on the edge of the mysterious desert wilderness that is the Kalahari. Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, which belongs to the well known Oppenheimer family, provides the ultimate luxury game reserve experience. Website: www.tswalu.com