Kate, the slender tailed meerkat   Scientific name:   Suricata suricatta Animal Type:   Mammal Location:   Southern African sub region Conservation Status:   Least concern Diet:   Primarily insects, mice, plants & eggs       She is a dainty individual with particularly attractive features. The caddish Alexander Orlov would most definitely show an interest in her.

Kate, the slender tailed meerkat

Kate is one of the latest pair of meerkats to be featured in Durrell’s adoption scheme. She is a dainty individual with particularly attractive features. The caddish Alexander Orlov would most definitely show an interest in her.

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Slender tailed meerkat profile

The slender tailed meerkat is a small mammal and a member of the mongoose family. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a ‘mob’, ‘gang’ or ‘clan’. A meerkat clan often contains about 20 meerkats, but some super-families have 50 or more members. Meerkats have an average life span of 12-14 years.

Its tail is not bushy like all other mongoose species, but is rather long and thin and tapers to a black or reddish coloured pointed tip. The meerkat uses its tail to balance when standing upright. Its face tapers, coming to a point at the nose, which is brown. The eyes always have black patches around them and it has small black crescent-shaped ears that can close to exclude soil when digging. Like cats, meerkats have binocular vision, a large peripheral range, depth perception, and eyes on the front of their faces.

Meerkats forage in a group with one ‘sentry’ on guard watching for predators while the others search for food. Sentry duty is usually approximately an hour long.

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Threats and challenges to the slender tailed meerkat

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. Also a meerkat group may die out because of predator attack, its alpha pair being unable to breed, starvation due to drought, or epidemic disease.

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Durrell's involvement with the slender tailed meerkat

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.

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Adoption packs

Adopters will receive an adoption folder containing the following based on our female slender tailed meerkat:

What's included Bronze Silver Gold A certificate Photograph Fact sheet Birth certificate Animal stickers Two issues of our ‘On the Edge’ magazine per year Regular news via our electronic newsletter ‘eNews’ Complimentary ticket to visit Durrell wildlife park in Jersey Your name listed on our website - Updates about your animal per year - A chance to enjoy a tour with one of our experienced volunteer tour guides, and spend time with your animal and their keeper - - All for just £3 pm £10 pm £55 pm

*Per month

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Where will my slender tailed meerkat donation money go?

Our dedicated conservationists can continue to work tirelessly in threatened habitats in our strategic conservation areas of islands and highlands worldwide. They will also battle to protect and conserve as much wildlife as they can.

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Please pay for your adoption by Direct Debit if you can. Direct Debits are cheaper for us to administer, letting us spend more of your money on our vital conservation work. Direct Debits are also better for you because payments are made automatically and can be spread across the year and you won't be bothered with renewal forms. It will simply roll over until you request otherwise. However, you can make a single payment if you prefer.

Click here to view and print the direct debit payment form » » | or download it »

Or use the fom below to make a single payment...