You could say my love for wildlife started at a young age, because most kids love animals and I was no exception. However, that wouldn’t be truly accurate. My appreciation for wildlife really began with a trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2004. I was 28 years old at the time, and I had never been on a trip with a naturalist guide, and had never spent full days focused on wildlife spotting. I also wasn’t really interested in photography yet, so I wasn’t actually sure if the trip was my thing. It only took a day or so and I was hooked, completely fascinated by all the facts and stories about the islands and the wildlife there. Although I’ve heard it’s changed a lot since then (that’s another story), I would love to go back with a proper camera.
Setting off on a meerkat adventure
With the kids in mind, I booked a meerkat tour as part of our South Africa trip, but when I told them about it, they were only vaguely interested. I think their response was something like – “but we’ve seen meerkats at the zoo”. Well, you can also see elephants and giraffes at the zoo, but anyone who’s been on safari will tell you that it doesn’t compare to seeing them in their natural habitat.
I think they believed me. And if nothing else, getting up at stupid-o’clock to trek out to a dirt mound was going to be an experience to remember, right?
The drive from the Cape Winelands to Oudtshoorn was one of the most interesting – and at times breathtaking – drives I’ve experienced. It took us about 4-hours, and we stopped in Montagu to eat lunch before setting off for the long haul. Montagu was a beautiful little spot. I can still remember the heat of that late-summer sun reminding us that we were no longer on the coast.
It’s true that some of the drive was boring, with endlessly long, straight roads which required maximum concentration due to speedy South African driving and passing. As we neared Oudtshoorn, we skirted along a spectacular mountain pass. The sun was setting as we arrived at our hotel, creating the most stunning pink sky. There is a lot of sky in Oudtshoorn, so I had a feeling that incredible sunsets and sunrises were the norm here.
Where to stay
We stayed at De Zeekoe and booked the meerkat adventure through the hotel as well. Not far from the center of Oudtshoorn, it’s a nice hotel with a friendly staff and a good restaurant.
We did have to get up very early for the meerkat tour, but it was definitely worth it. Not only because of the incredible sunrise that greeted us, but it’s important to get positioned near the meerkat tunnels before they wake up.
After enjoying a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, we walked quietly to the sandy mounds and arranged our chairs in a semi-circle with the others on the tour. Our guide shared a lot of interesting facts with us about how long it took to habituate this particular mob of meerkats (that’s what groups of them are called) and what we could expect if we were lucky enough to see them that morning. It isn’t always guaranteed that they will emerge for very long…especially on a cloudy day.
After about 30 minutes, as the sun started to warm the earth, the first little critter appeared to check out the surroundings. After that, meerkats of all ages started popping their heads up.
Habituation
The founder of Meerkat Adventures, started habituating mobs of meerkats by going into the grasslands and sitting 100 meters away from them. He would talk, sing and read aloud from books, gradually decreasing the distance between him and the animals. Eventually they became accustomed to him and trusted that he posed no threat to their family. He did this for approximately one year before bringing guests to see them.
Children under 10 are not allowed on the tour because it is vital that everyone is quiet and still. Although the meerkats have been habituated to accept human voices and the clicking of cameras, if we made any sudden movements the meerkats would scurry back into the burrow and likely not reappear. Having just turned 10, our youngest daughter just made the cut, but I was confident that she was fully capable of following the rules.
At one point, someone in our group sneezed and almost all the meerkats disappeared. We thought it was game over, but thankfully, they started reappearing one-by-one.
It was explained to us that the meerkats stand up like this not only to look out for predators, but also to soak up the sun after being tucked away underground all night. Their jittery, nervous movements are fascinating to watch and quite humorous. They jerk their heads right and left in unison, with the young ones playfully rolling around, often climbing on top of each other for a better view.
You may have heard of the African big five, but did you know that Meerkats are part of the shy five? The shy five also includes the porcupine, aardvark, aardwolf and the bat-eared fox – which we saw here.
We watched them for about an hour or so, but once they warm up and sense that it’s safe, they will begin to wander off to find food. Some of their favorite foods include beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and scorpions.
I would highly recommend seeing meerkats in the wild if you ever have the chance. I find it important to mention that there are meerkat encounters in South Africa and other places, which allow you to hold and feed the meerkats. Although this might sound thrilling, I find it much more enjoyable to see wildlife that has not been habituated to this extent. Being able to see them in their natural environment and witness their morning routine is a privilege. Furthermore, if wild meerkats interact with humans, they will be killed by the rest of the mob.
The folks at De Zeeko and the Meerkat Adventures are fully committed to preserving the animals and their natural habitat.