Slender-tailed meerkat

Scientific Name: Suricata suricatta Animal Type: Mammal Location: Southern African subregion. Conservation Status: Least Concern

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These stripy sentinels are a favourite with natural history filmmakers and visitors, because of their endearing upright postures and fascinating social behaviour. A once familiar sight in the dry sandy regions of southern Africa, the slender-tailed meerkat, although not considered endangered, is susceptible to disturbance and habitat loss caused by human activity.

Durrell first began working with the meerkat as a ‘model’ species in 1999, when a group consisting of a breeding pair and their five offspring, arrived from a wildlife park in England. As it is thought to be the one of the least threatened of the mongoose family, this species is being cared for to enable Durrell to develop successful husbandry methods for future use on more endangered relatives such as the narrow-striped mongoose.

Meerkat - courtesy Channel Television

Other Least Concern Animals African crested porcupine Agile frog Black and gold howler monkey Cambodia bony-headed toad Common toad/Jersey crapaud European Adder Greater flamingo Green lizard Grey crowned crane Hamerkop Mission golden-eyed tree frog Red river hog Red-billed Chough Ring-tailed coati Rio Cauca caecilian (Rubber eel) Silvery marmoset White-backed duck White-faced whistling duck Yellow mongoose