"Mozart Relief And Happiness"

The December 23 was about to end, in many places of the World.
In the homeland of Meerkats, a soft but strange light could be seen as if coming from the sky... A light that seemed to grow as the hours went by.
The Starsky Mob had been foraging and having some problems with the Aztecs, who attacked them two or three times.
Suddenly all the members of both groups stopped right where each of them was, after having heard the cry made by a huge bird of prey; only this time, no one would think in running straight to the shelter of a burrow... They only stayed there, looking upwards, and soon this is what they saw:
The white, soft light spreading all over the desert seemed to get a little denser, having a globe-like shape with the size of the Moon. It stood there for hours, vanishing only after midnight, and only to return at dawn.
So, that very special day, it was like no one could think about food of any kind, under the influence of that strange new Moon. And no one was suffering from hunger.
When it returned, in Christmas Eve, it looked even bigger... Much closer to the ground. And it was so.
By midday, that Moon showed yet another mysterious shape: right in the middle, a little standing figure seemed to shine in gold and pink at the same time... When that figure appeared, all the newborns in the Kalahari felt refreshed, healthy and with their bellies full up. But, who was such benefactress presence?
Because along with the light had come a sensation of cold, but even with this no one was feeling bad.
Between the hours of evening and the night, the little Moon descended to the top of a tree, always with that presence inside.
And, could it be that it had little wings, like the Butterflies'? ...Well, yes: two pairs of them.
And could really be that the little figure looked so much like a Meerkat?
Again, yes, because that's exactly what the Starskys and the Aztecs saw immediately; and their eyes could never be wrong.
Finally, could it be that  some of the astonished watchers recognized that winged figure as one of them?
Well, the answer can only be: "Yes!" ...Because suddenly the little presence started to talk, somehow, from the tree; and her words were sent to all, no mattered if it was Bird, Meerkat or Snake.
"Maybe you are very surprised, my good enemies and very good old friends. But I felt the desire of making a little visit to some members of my family; and to my own surprise, I'm here".
"I won't talk about old times, now, they're a big shadow covering my past, which turned me into a dark Moon".
"Now I can't return; at least not yet, but there's only bright light in me... You should actually see me like a little star. But never mind, good people. My presence here has another reasons".
"I wanted to bring this very night, to my own homeland, a little gift from very far away. One wich could bring a new freshness to all who must live in this desert".
"So accept what I'm giving, everyone, and stay tonight creating white burrows that tomorrow will be a pleasant memory, because I don't think I can do it again next year".
The first snowflakes started to fall, from the grey mantle of light, covering the whole desert... Still over that tree, the faerie-like figure watched her "little world" being covered, but remembering for a moment her sorrowful past...
"No", she said to herself. "That's lost in my memory, now... And what was my name? Oh, of course, they called me Mozart. But even that, is in the shadows of my past. Right now, if they could see me, I'd like being called something like... 'Lady Faerie'. Yes, that would be a very good name".
"The only sorrow in me, this time, is the impossibility to join them and play -even with Eagles and Snakes-, all through this beautiful night... The night that snowed in the Kalahari".


(Edited today, 1/23/12)

"Garden For Just One Flower"

There was a strange planet
 ten million stars away,
 in which Meerkats were always
 very happy and free.

 It had mostly deserts
 to play, and sleep, and thrive in;
 but even more than that,
 they had a true Queen.

 And she was so famous
 among her old people,
 that no one ruled better

 In their desert planet...
 Only the Big Flower:
 Queen who came from Heaven.


(Edited today, 1/23/12)

"Just Another Day For Meerkats"

When the Meerkats decided

that they were not afraid of anything,

the perfect day for them to show that came again at last.

Much better, I guess... The other day I was running,

trying to have it finished and well.

Now they'd only like to know if some of us

do have shivers in Halloween...

Special - Meerkats In Strange Places

Always Ready For Action...

Design Toscano...

Safari Park...

...England

"Castle In The Desert" - Farewell, Zaphod!!!

Oh, Great King... I can't believe that I didn't even knew about your final moment.
You left in March, then; and what picture will I keep now, of you?
Only this one, I hope...

Have you seen Flower already? For there are so many flowers in front of your eyes, Zaphod.
Or are they stars? It doesn't matter so much, anyway.
Those are only empty words, now.
What's really important is what you can have: an invisible, but very big, Kingdom for you and the loving wife who lived by your side here on Earth.

Farewell, Great King Of Sands And Meerkats!
Never Forget What You Gained By Yourself!!!

"Special - Timon And Poppy"

It Was Always Dogs Befriend Cats... Here We Have "Dog Befriends Kat"

A Pooch from Derbyshire has taken to sharing its dog food with an unusual best friend - a Meerkat.
John Bent and wife Sally rescued the meerkat, Timon, after it was savaged by other Meerkats in the couple's outdoor menagerie, the Daily Mail reports.
Luckily, however, Timon struck up a friendship with the Bent's Pooch, Poppy, who is a Chihuahua-Maltese Terrier.
Mr Bent told the news provider: "They are inseparable. They pinch each other’s food but never get angry".
Mrs Bent added: "As soon as Timon came into the house he went over to Poppy they bonded instantly".
"Poppy has a special spot on the settee and she allowed Timon to share it with her. It’s where they fall asleep in the afternoon".
Timon even has its own collar and lead and goes for walks with its canine companion.
The couple take their pets to schools and hospices to introduce them to children and teach them how to care for animals.

"Flower For Just One Garden"

Little song without music, which I could finish this afternoon.
This would be what Meerkat Queens sing at their final moment in life, alone or surrounded by their family.


My kingdom was thought to last for ever...
East straight to sunset, like some birds do
early in the morning, which runs from the Moon,
returning to start a great Meerkat era.

Kingdoms of legend last ad infinitum...
And mine brought a future for many a Meerkat,
to shine like a desert of the Golden Era,
making us believe in the gods of good luck.

And now what I made for my kin seems all over...
Now remains my legacy for all to see
on them all, like the better part of me,
reigning like a Queen Star with crown of argentum.

"Very Special - The Best Of Meerkats"

Four images of Meerkats that I liked very much...
Especially the last. I almost wish to be among them.

They really know about cuddling.

edubuzz



hellyeahmeerkats

animalphotos

"Wlidest Dreams"

This is what many millions in the whole world were waiting!!!
A new series of movies, directed by no one else but Youssarian (sometimes in association with Zaphod), to delight his old followers who loved him through Meerkat Manor, with what he already called "The successful foraging" of the season.

(edited today; it had to be "Manor" instead of "Mayer").

Special - "Manor Meerketplace"

It's another normal day
in the Manor Meerketplace...
The Chocolate-Covered-Scorpions
are ready to be enjoyed.

Flower's tent is full of bugs...
Crunchy Scarabs, juicy worms.
For everyone in the desert
knows that all she makes is good.

Over there, of course, is Zaphod
with his new Obedience School;
on the other hand, Youssarian
selling Beetles warm or cool.

Needless to ask about Mozart...
There's no nursery like hers;
and all in the Kalahari
will take their children to her.

If you want to look much prettier
-and make boys go crazy as well-,
visit Tosca's Grooming Parlour,
you'll be soon the fairest girl.

Now if you just need protection
or maybe a good advice,
an expert is always waiting
right there, in the tent of Mitch.

You'll always spend happy days
in the Manor Meerketplace...
And whatever you may need
a smile will shine in your face.

Very Special - "Their Only Place To Live In"

The only place where Meerkats can live.

Meerkat misery: Thanks to that TV ad, they're now a must-have pet... But behind the cute image lies shocking cruelty - By Laura Powell, May 2010

Right at the back of the pet shop, between the cages of Mice, sacks of puppy feed and swarms of goldfish at £2.50 a pop, a little animal no more than eight inches tall is running up and down a poky mesh cage.
Simples, a one-year-old Meerkat, is on sale for £900, making him quite a money-spinner for the store. Despite his high value, however, he looks anything but happy.
His cage at Planet Pets in Radcliffe, north Manchester, is just 5ft by 2ft ('not good enough', according to the RSPCA) and he is kept in it alone, despite the fact that wild meerkats live in groups of ten to 30.
The animals are also hardwired to spend their days digging tunnels, but Simples has only a shallow layer of wood chips to play with.
And he's far from the only Meerkat living in these kind of conditions, because they are big business - selling at pet shops up and down the country for as much as £1,500 each.
The animals, which are native to Botswana, were originally bought from zoos by experienced breeders, but they are now in such high demand that amateurs are cashing in on the trend.
Why are they so popular? The clue is in Simples' name - it's the catchphrase of 'Aleksandr Orlov', the meerkat star of adverts for price comparison site comparethemarket.com.
This oddly compelling creation -a smoking, jacket-wearing puppet with a Russian accent- has more than 720,000 friends on Facebook and the advert has been watched more than 400,000 times on Youtube.
Some of these fans have decided to take their enthusiasm for Aleksandr Orlov to the next level by buying a meerkat - even though the RSPCA says the creatures are wholly unsuited to being kept as domestic pets.
The majority are prised from their litter-mates and parents and kept on their own, which can cause huge psychological trauma.
That ranges 'from self-harm to hair-pulling, pacing up and down and, in severe cases, chewing off their own hands', says the RSPCA's scientific officer Ros Clubb.
Then there are the injuries that 'tame' hand-reared meerkats can inflict on their owners.
They have centimetre-long canine teeth, which feel 'like someone sticking a penknife into you - very painful', according to meerkat expert Professor Tim Cluttonbrock, of the University of Cambridge, who has fallen foul of the creatures' gnashers.
Worse still, if you let them run loose indoors 'your carpets will be ripped up, any wires chewed through and if the Meerkat hasn't electrocuted itself, it'll certainly have ransacked the house', says Craig Redmond of the Captive Animals' Protection Society.
Unfortunately, none of this is stopping some pet shops and breeders from selling the animals - and neither is the law.
If the meerkat trend continues, says Craig Redmond, then many owners will tire of the animals long before the end of their ten to 12-year lifespan.
Huge numbers will be released into the wild (where 'they do not stand a chance') or will be put down.
But buyers are often told none of this by sellers keen to make a lucrative sale. even Planet Pets' manager Gareth admits the £900 price tag is steep - that's why the animals are sold individually.
Isn't keeping a meerkat on its own a bit cruel, I ask? 'No, it's not cruel to keep them on their own at all', he says. 'You can stroke it and have it on your lap and everything'.
Another pet shop owner I speak to doesn't have any in stock but 'can get his hands on them' for me at around £800 each.
Adam, of The Ark in Carlisle, even goes as far as telling me: 'They're much more interesting if you've just got the one'.
He doesn't mention that isolating Meerkats in captivity can cause them serious psychological damage.
'Meerkats are highly sociable animals, they need to be kept in groups and are probably rather unhappy alone', says Professor Cluttonbrock.
Last year, the Captive Animals' Protection Society secretly monitored meerkat sales during a six-month study. It found that the majority are sold individually and buyers are given insufficient advice and help.
'If the Meerkat is kept in a tiny cage in the shop, the buyer thinks that's how it can live all its life.
'They don't realise Meerkats spend most of their days burrowing and digging and need fresh air, company and space', says Redmond. even the most conscientious seller I spoke to, New World exotics of Beeston, Nottingham, (they ask would-be owners to fill out an application form and question buyers to find out if they're suitable) said: 'You can keep them indoors but they have to have free rein'.
But Redmond argues: 'It is outrageous to give a Meerkat a free run inside, especially if you are out of the house. The damage they can cause is catastrophic as they're natural diggers'.
None of that is mentioned by breeder Andy from Wigan, who is advertising three male pups on preloved.co.uk for £600 a piece.
Posing as a potential buyer, I tell him I work all day and wonder if that might cause a problem.
He answers: 'It could be'. But he quickly adds: 'The way around it is to give it a cuddly toy or something with your scent on it and it'll cuddle up to "you".
'They're similar to a cat really. They're happy to live in the house and are quite inquisitive... I take mine for a walk on a lead and they're local celebrities'.
Astonishingly, he even tells me I needn't necessarily feed my meerkat chicks, mealworms and insects (their usual diet).
'Their diet is... well, they can eat anything,' he says. 'Dog food, Cat food, live worms, locusts, sausages, anything'.
Such sales spiel anger s Redmond, who says: 'The people who are in it for the money are often ignorant of everything: the right way to keep them and their dietary needs. I can't remember a single pet shop telling me Meerkats need fruit in their diet.
'Keeping a Meerkat in captivity is never going to be good enough. There's never a way of keeping them that's as good and natural as when they're in the wild'.
The problem is that there is no law against keeping Meerkats. Owners do have a 'duty of care' to their pets and have to meet their ' behavioural and social needs' - or face prosecution under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act.
But such rules are hard to enforce. You don't need a licence to keep or breed them, so the number of Meerkats being kept as pets is impossible to estimate.
The majority are sold by unlicensed breeders, although exotic pet shops often act as middle men and offer to 'track one down' for you.
When I spoke to Danny at Manchester Pets and Aquatics he told me they had none in stock but said he could order one for a 'good price'.
The only shop I contacted that would only sell them in pairs ('because they can't be left on their own') was New World exotics in Beeston.
But even that wasn't good enough for Craig Redmond who said: ' They' re hardwired physically to live in colonies of ten, 12, even 30 - so living in pairs just isn't big enough.'
He adds: 'It's hard to be surprised by the numbers being sold. I visited one breeder in Leeds, a decent-looking couple in their forties living in a detached new-build on a nice estate'.
Right there in the hallway, they had five Meerkat babies locked up in a small Parrot cage, separated from their adults and the female adult was already pregnant again.
'She and the male were so wild, they were shut up in a tiled conservatory with nowhere to dig and absolutely no way of going outside'.
'Can you imagine caging them up like that? You have to ask yourself why would you be so cruel as to try to tame something that is innately hardwired to be wild?'
One need look no further than lonely little Simples, scrabbling vainly at the floor of his cage, to agree.

So this was, more or less, the situation last year. Let's hope that Meerkats can live in their own territory, and nowhere else.

...They can't live here in any way

"Wildest Dreams"

I think I know where Youssarian went

since he left!

...To teach the Meerkat ways to his new Leopard friend, of course!!!

"Garden For Just One Flower"

Only for all Meerkat Manor lovers... For here, we all accept Flower as our Queen and Mother in common (if anyone doesn't agree, just go to another blog / site). Well, this is what I wanted to leave here this time, having let the words flow instead of thinking them, so that you could read a new...
...Possible message from Flower.

"Dear children: It's been four years since you and me could see one another (through the heart, in my case). But no matter how much time may pass, if with this we can strenghten our little bond along with the feeling of belonging each other. There's something about my death that maybe you haven't thought yet. I wasn't happy or proud in those hard and painful moments just for having fought for my people. I felt happy dying at the very entrance of my burrow. And anyway, dear children, you already know this very well: The flower doesn't live who can't leave her own future afterlife. So, whenever you see a dying flower, just smile as if I was there, because I can be right there, ready to bring myself back, somewhere, somehow".

"Garden Of Just One Flower"

Flower in her birthday, receiving kisses in her extended hand.

I heard this song two or three years ago and thought

"It talks completely about Flower!"

Now you can read the lyrics and see it for yourselves...

She
May be the face I can't forget
A trace of pleasure or regret
May be my treasure or the price I have to pay
She may be the song that summer sings
May be the chill that autumn brings
May be a hundred tearful things
Within the measure of the day.

She
May be the beauty or the beast
May be the famine or the feast
May turn each day into heaven or a hell
She may be the mirror of my dreams
A smile reflected in a stream
She may not be what she may seem
Inside a shell.

She who always seems so happy in a crowd
Whose eyes can be so private and so proud
No one's allowed to see them when they cry
She may be the love that can and hope to last
May come to me from shadows of the past
That I remember till the day I die.

She
May be the reason I survive
The why and where for I'm alive
The one I'll care for through the rough and rainy years
Me I'll take her laughter and her tears
And make them all my souvenirs
For where she goes I got to be
The meaning of my life is

She...

"Remembered Ones"

Do you know what has become
of a little great soul called Mitch?
Those were good times in Texas
up to where the sight could reach...
The stories about this Meerkat
were countless like the stars,
the roads and plains he traveled
like rivers, long and wide.

A great Meerkat soul called Mitch.

It's said beyond the river
that he saw a golden star,
and he took her for a flower
that would blossom only at nights;
but when it suddenly started to rain
that star became so bright,
that all the flowers of the land
woke up just like at dawn.

A great Meerkat soul called Mitch.

We can't tell Texas stories
if we don't talk about Cows...
But even then we'll mention him
and how much he was involved.
Because if any hunter
tried to catch one of the herd,
he always sent his alarm call
and all the Cows were safe.

A great Meerkat soul called Mitch.

He hadn't in all the desert
just one place to call his own...
If he decided to settle here
or there, it soon was done.
And the Horses running wildly
always knew if he was there,
and then slowed down their march at once,
or found another way.

A great Meerkat soul called Mitch.

The bad guys buried treasures
could be deep below the ground,
but when he did the dig and scratch
the gems were always found...
And it was sure for treasure hunters
to get gold in desert nights,
so they would always follow
the trace he left behind.

A great Meerkat soul called Mitch.

Well, I know still more stories
that I should tell in this song,
but that will take at least a week
if you want to hear them all...
For now, it should be enough to know
of how he cleaned his land
of Rattlers, Snakes and Vipers
well clutched in one hand.

A great Meerkat soul called Mitch.


Here, the song that inspired me is no other than that old cowboy song called "Ghost riders in the sky".

"Very Special - Valentine For Meerkats"

This must have been the way

for Flower and Zaphod

to meet each other...

And be happy ever after!!!

"Very Special - New Place For Meerkats"

Visitors Flock to New Meerkat Village

LONDON, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The UK's love of meerkats has been demonstrated once again with online visitors flocking to a new digital meerkat village, meerkovo.com. After just a few days of going live, the new site -which showcases comparethemeerkat.com founder Aleksandr Orlov's home town of Meerkovo- is already attracting tens of thousands of visitors daily. This follows the success of Aleksandr's autobiography, A Simples Life, which became a Sunday Times bestseller.

Aleksandr's army of UK fans (he has over 3/4 million friends on Facebook and over 40,000 followers on Twitter) are visiting meerkovo.com for the chance to step inside the home of the nation's best loved Meerkat. Visitors to the new and exciting website are able to meet new Meerkats, explore the village and enter buildings including the local Queasy Mongoose Pub, Yakov's toy shop, and Aleksandr's mansion.

From today, those entering the site will be able to challenge other Meerkat aficionados in the Queasy Mongoose Pub quiz, and stay up-to-date with all the latest Meerkovo news via the local paper, the Meerkovian. Over time, new games, Meerkats and interactive features will be added to meerkovo.com

Aleksandr Orlov said: "I have Sergei working seven days a week to build new website. It is called meerkovo.com. Here peoples can explore my local village Meerkovo and meet many villagers from old to young. In this way peoples can understand our plight and finally learn differences".

The website is part of new advertising campaign, which premiered on 1st January. In it the entrepreneurial Meerkat and founder of comparethemeerkat.com has turned documentary-maker to introduce us to the village of Meerkovo. The villagers are suffering as a result of people in the UK confusing his site with comparethemarket.com when looking for cheap car insurance quotes.

SOURCE - comparethemeerkat.com

"Castle In The Desert"

Zaphod, in one

of his latest pictures...

That's how I want him to die when his day had come...

Like a baby, so sweetly;

And stay there as if standing proud. Like the King he still is.

But what can be the King dreaming in that picture?

Well, what else, but himself flying on a Golden Scorpion?