Let me start with a well-deserved apology. I have been
exceptionally busy with our 3D Kalahari Meerkats project these past few weeks and so I have not even had time to iron
my underwear, let alone put out a blog two.
However! Here we are my dear Watson, and my-oh-my do I have
a story to tell!!
Firstly, while I’ve been working with the meerkats I’ve
definitely noticed a few trends in the Gosa gang group. Let’s deal with these
quickly before we get to the really juicy Kalahari drama!
Gosa meerkat personality traits
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| Gandalf on duty |
Matimba is an exceptional forager. This little lady is a
lean, mean, Kalahari digging machine! She eats well and it shows; sometimes she
ends up giving food to other members
of the group! Then we have Gandalf, the Alpha male of the Gosa
meerkat gang. Gandalf loves to climb up exceptionally high when on sentry duty
and stays there for up to half an hour. Although
he is wise and experienced, I sometimes get the feeling that he is more of a
thrill-seeker! Having said this, he is a brilliant Alpha male and often high up
on sentry duty list (Pun intended). And last but not least, Starsky. Ah, young
Starsky. Throughout the sands of the Kalahari you can find no better meerkat
that fits the position of “clown” than this youngster. If he’s not trying to
scent mark everything including his own family members, he’s trying to start up
a playful fight with the other teenagers. Sometimes he tries to act mature and mimics Gandalf while he is on sentry duty, but he quickly loses
interest and ambushes whoever is nearest to him!
Crunchies for the munchies
The Gosa meerkats really love the large yellowish-white beetle
larvae that we find out here in the Kalahari. These larvae belong to the insect
family called the
Tenebrionidae and this
is a large diverse family of predominantly large black beetles. While you’re
watching
Live you can always tell if a meerkat has sniffed one of these juicy
treats out as the meerkats will frantically dig deeper and deeper to find this tantalising treasure! The larvae sit anywhere between ½ft
and 2ft deep and this is generally the only time that the meerkats will go into
overdrive as they dig! Watch for it next time you’re watching with us.
Finally, let us start unpacking the meerkat drama that has
unfolded over the past week here at
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve!
Let us set the scene shall we. Picture the Southern
Kalahari. A vast arid savannah with scattered trees and
Hornbills who sit in the
Camelthorn trees and watch crazy cameramen run through the Kalahari following a
bunch of meerkats. Now, in this scene, imagine you are facing North. To the far
West (Your Left), we have a meerkat group known as the Rock Stars. Closer
Eastwards (In front of you) we have what is known as the Jacos (pronounced
Ya-kooo-s) Dune group. Finally, even further East (Your Right) and bordering on
the small mountain range, we have the Gosa gang. Now, recently the Rock Star
group have been fighting with the Jacos Dune group. The Rock Stars seem to have
won the day out on the Western front and so the Jacos Dune group have shifted
Eastwards into the Gosa gang territory. In turn, the Gosa gang have lost the
fight against the much larger Jacos Dune group and have started to shift
Northwards. Still with me? Great! Now, caught up in the midst of all this
madness were the WildEarth crew! The description that follows is definitely the
Kalahari equivalent of an exceptional game of Chess!
So, to help you through this explanation I have added a map
for you to view, otherwise you will become cross-eyed and pass out on your
keyboard like I did. On the map are the 5 burrows in the Gosa gang territory.
These are Camelthorn, Gosa Dam, Sour Grass, Birds Nest and Northern burrow.
Ok, so we are now in the main territory of the Gosa gang.
The Gosa family had slept at Gosa dam burrow for a few nights before moving to
Birds Nest burrow. During this time the group foraged on the Eastern boundary
of their territory. However, the day after they moved to the Birds Nest burrow,
Delilah, Brutus, Dingaan and Napoleon vanished. Just like that. No signs, no
warnings, nothing. They simply melted away into the Kalahari. The Gosa gang
were now down to 6, and Cleo and the remaining family members slept at Birds
nest that night again. The next day, with the Gosa gang short 4 members,the group
foraged fairly far East before making their way to the Gosa dam burrow. As they
approached from the North East, the Gosa group were suddenly all on the alert.
Something in the South had their attention. I looked towards the dam and saw 3 meerkats sitting
on top of Gosa Dam burrow. “Ah there’s the rest of the group” I thought. But
when I looked again there were 5 on the top. I looked back at the Gosa gang who
were now firmly on the alert when I looked back in the direction of the dam
there were 8 meerkats! I looked frantically back at the 6 Gosa members, and
then back to the dam, and now there were 11! Is this a mirage? Where did all
these meerkats come from!? And then it hit me: Jacos Dune have launched an
expedition deep into the Gosa territory! The 6 Gosa gang members moved
forwards, bounding and chirping as they came closer to the Gosa Dam burrow.
Both groups of meerkats were now at
DEFCON 1; tails raised, backs arched, ready
for action! Suddenly, Jacos Dune rushed down the embankment towards the Gosa
gang, bounding bravely forward with tails aimed sky-high! And what did the Gosa
gang do? They turned tail and literally flew back to their Birds Nest burrow! Six
little brown bolts of lightning whipped past the camera and disappeared faster
than a good piece of tuna at a penguin banquet! Outnumbered and outmatched, the
Gosa gang didn’t have a fighting chance against the more aggressive Jacos Dune
group. Unable to run with the camera, we huffed and puffed after the Gosa gang
until we met up with them again. Nervous and very taken aback, the group sat on
top of Birds Nest burrow and stared back in the direction of the Gosa Dam. They
had just lost a piece of prime meerkat real estate to a bunch of invaders!
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| A very worried Gosa gang |
After 20mins or so the Gosa gang relaxed and started
foraging Eastwards again. The crew and I could not contain our
excitement! What an incredible thing to witness! Then, the atmosphere of the group changed. All of a sudden, the group started
to move Southwards; back towards Gosa Dam burrow! Could this be happening
AGAIN!? All the signs were there, and the Gosa gang weren’t slowing down. This
time they changed their tactics and approached the Gosa Dam burrow from the
North West. But alas, Jacos Dune were ready for them and the entire scene was
repeated. Rush! Whoosh! Puff-pant-puff-pant! Back to Birds Nest burrow! Sigh,
oh well. You have to hand it to the Gosa gang for trying. But that was it, the
Gosa Dam Burrow was lost to the invading Jacos Dune group from the West. With
such a slice in their territory, I think it’s safe to say that Jacos Dune also
have a firm grasp on the Gosa gang’s Southern burrow; Camelthorn.
There were no
confrontations the next day, and the Gosa gang decided to play it safe and move
further Northwards to their Northern burrow. Upon arrival, who do we meet up with? Delilah, Brutus, Dingaan and Napoleon! These 4
little rascals had been hiding out here the whole time! After a quick reunion,
the Gosa gang all headed underground for the night. That was on Wednesday 11th
April.
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| Jacos Dune pups taking in the sunset at Birds Nest |
Today, Saturday 14th April, Jacos Dune did the
unthinkable; they pushed further North and took hold of Birds Nest burrow.
These guys never give up! Now the Gosa gang only really have one burrow left to
use on their Northern territory, and who knows what meerkat gang is living
further North from there? But fear not! For what the Gosa gang lack in
strength, they make up for in strategy! While the Jacos Dune group raided Birds
Nest burrow, the Gosa gang headed Eastwards and then Southwards, slipping
around Jacos Dune, and retaking Gosa Dam!! Yeehaa! A brilliant chess move!
And so, the Gosa gang are still in the fight! What an
incredible turn of events! Now, meerkat territories are always shifting, but
this looks like it may well turn into a game of strategies. And what about our
4 Gosa companions who jumped ship before the fight? Well, we will have to
monitor them, along with the rest of the Gosa gang and the Jacos Dune group!
Don’t forget to follow me on my adventures on
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website for a free weekly wallpaper
Rob’s song for the
day: We are the champions - Queen
Warm regards wherever you are in the world,
Rob
The dainty Springbok. Apart from being South Africa's national symbol, the Springbok is also an important icon of the Kalahari. Named after it's extraordinary ability to leap exceptionally high when fleeing, Springbok only weigh up to 40kgs and stand 90cm high at the shoulder. They move around in large herds and early African explorers often recalled seeing them in their millions as they moved across the plains.
The Tsessebe (T-se-se-bee) is the first of two 'strange' looking antelope in the Kalahari. With an upward sloping back caused by its larger forelegs, the Tsessebe is renowned as being the fastest antelope in Africa. Strangely enough, the Tsessebe belongs to the same family as the Springbok and the Wildebeest. Tsessebe also have a strange habit of resting their heads mouth down on the ground with their horns sticking straight up into the air whil resting. Male tsessebe have also been observed standing in parallel ranks with their eyes closed bobbing their heads back and forth.
The second 'strange' looking antelope we have in the Kalahari is the Blue Wildebeest. An odd looking animal, its original name was the Gnu (G-Noo) after the nasal sound it makes when calling. These animals tend to move around in small family herds out in the Kalahari whilst the males typically hang out near the waterhole. Their powerful front legs make them excellent runners and they can easily get up to 65km/h. The 'Blue' part of their name is derived from the blue sheen that their coat gives off in certain light.
Then giant number two. The Eland. 1.5 m at the shoulder, and 600kgs in weight, this massive herbivore commands respects due to its sheer bulk and stature. Incredibly, its Northern cousin, the Giant Eland which is found in Central and North Africa, can reach 1.8m at the shoulder and weigh in at 900kg! Our Kalahari Eland do possess one very strange property though. Their knees click when they walk, and it is a sound that I can only liken to someone tapping a piece of bamboo on a concrete flaw. Many times in the Kalahari bush, the Meerkat cameramen will hear a herd of Eland long before they can see them!
And finally, the proudest and most awe-inspiring of all antelope; the Sable. With an impressive set of horns and a sturdy chest, these antelope are the equivalent of Kalahari royalty, and they have an attitude to match. When a sable is threatened by a predator, including lions, the sable will turn to confront it and use their scimitar-shaped horns to drive back the would-be attacker. Many of these big cats have died during such fights.
