"Meerkats Hymn To Their God"

"Our God comes each day from a place

far beyond our sight.

He gives all the warmth we need after a long night

passed somehow buried alive.

So we see Him arise from His hidden lands

until we're ready to go in search

of our morning first meal".

"We Can't Live Sepparated"

The growing fame they have gained since the Meerkat Manor series started, shouldn't turn suddenly into bad news for them just because someone wants one or two Meerkats at home. Don't steal them from zoos; they were not created to be our pets.

Besides, every Meerkat has a function in the group and for that, is important and almost unreplaceable.

But considering what has been happening, the time came for us to stop the stealing.

metro.co.uk

"Remembered Ones"

Shakespeare, son of Flower and Zaphod, was born on November 8, 2002, along with Mozart, Einstein and Freud; all of the Whiskers family.

I made very few entries dedicated to Shakespeare and, however, he was one of the most faithful Meerkats in when the Mob needed him.
In his first year (March 18, 2003), he lost one of his brothers, Freud.
But Shakespeare lived enough to take care of many young Meerkats; the long list included Monkulus, Armantia Ditch, Zarathustra, Mitch, Cruise and Jogu.
One day an enemy group attacked the Whiskers and took the little Mitch to leave him in the open, but soon it was Shakespeare who found and took him back to the security of their burrow.
On November 23, 2004, he was one of the brave Meerkats who cornered a Puff Adder Snake... Being bitten in face and leg. But some days later he was recovered from the venom and ready to continue his babysitting of newborns.
When Flower gave birth to Petra, Macchu Pichu, Ningaloo and Popkat, he was there to take care of the babies every time their mother was out to forage.
Staying always with Flower and Zaphod, Shakespeare kept doing his main job, and when some Meerkats of her group rejoined the Whiskers -Flower giving birth to Flo, Kim and Finn-, he babysat them as well.
But one day the Lazuli attacked their burrow; Shakespeare first protected the young Meerkats. After the Whiskers chased the enemies away, he disappeared and left his life on March 11, 2005.

Here are three pictures brought to remember him better, especially with the third.

"Another Legend About Meerkats"

This tale starts a few centuries after the Gods created every living being and Wele, for his part, the first Meerkats.
In a deep part of the Kalahari, not very far from a river, there lives a group of Bushmen composed of eleven families. Many of them recollect fruits, water and plants, while the others guard their cattle.
But soon they find out how hard it's to protect their priceless livestock.
Every two or three days, Jackals come and kill a Goat. And sometimes, about thirty minutes after a mysterious hissing noise, one of the Goats falls heavily to the ground, dying a few moments later.
Such situation goes on for three months; however, the Bushmen know how hard would be finding a better place to settle in.
But when one of their children dies because of a Cape Cobra, the time comes to find some solution.
Oree-Khwe, their Chief, knows many places, but some of them would take at least one day of march,
And several people, who had been praying, bring to all the same (osada) question: "Why would the Gods create creatures that could kill them and their Goats?" 
To this, not even Oree-Khwe has any answer, but if all they can do is keep praying, they will.

Less than two months later, the Bushmen loose seven Goats hunted by Jackals and two more bitten by Cape Cobras; their desperate beggings seem completely ignored by the Gods. And Oree-Khwe finally goes right after sunrise in search of another place to live. He will be out there for many hours.

Suddenly, a young shepherd sees something wonderful: a group of small creatures seem to fight with a Snake, But they don't attack the Cape Cobra; they simply push her away, forcing her to go in one direction. When she leaves, the Shepherd goes to tell his people about it as soon as he can.
Now they start to feel that their prayers have been heard after all.
When their Chief returns having chosen a new place for them all, the Bushmen tell him what Kusi has witnessed. Then Oree-Khwe and the others start to watch closely how Meerkats behave in front of any danger and soon they learn new ways to defend the lives of themselves along with their livestock's.

The next morning, very early, everyone goes to see the Meerkats seemingly watching the rising Sun; Then some new chants are made thanking their Gods, but also to those creatures who taught them so much. Since that day, they call them "Jua Malaika" * (Angels of the Sun), the protectors against all evil creatures which from now on will harm their livestock no more.


*(This is Swahili -literally "Sun Angel"-, but I'm not sure to find these words in the language of Bushmen).

This is the link to my 1st legend about them:
http://forevermeerkatwhiskers.blogspot.com.ar/2007/11/legend-of-meerkats.html