Meerkats are part of the mongoose family and are probably one of the cutest animals around. They live in large family groups which consist of about 20 – 30 meerkats at a time. The collective name for a group of meerkats is “mob”, “gang” or “clan”.
Within the group each adult meerkat has a job to perform – babysitter, teacher, hunter or the all important sentry. The sentry meerkat is always on the lookout for predators and sits up on its hind legs to scour the surrounding areas looking and listening for signs of a potential threat. The sentries comedic, but all important, behaviour is probably one of the reasons why meerkats have become so popular.
The other reason could be the BBC TV show Meerkat Manor, which captured the complexities of meerkat life in the harsh Kalahari desert for a clan of meerkats called The Whiskers. This proved to be a hugely popular and educational TV programme and has so far spanned three series.
Going underground
Meerkats live in large underground networks with multiple entrances. During the day they hunt for small animals such as lizards, snakes, scorpions, spiders, small mammals, millipedes and centipedes. Unlike humans, meerkats are immune to scorpion venom.
Whilst hunting, one of the meerkats will take on the role of sentry (usually for an hour at a time) while the others forage for food. If danger is spotted the sentry will alert the group by sounding a warning sound.
This behaviour is also adopted around the burrow – one or more meerkats will be on sentry duty whilst the rest of the group goes about its business. If danger is spotted the clan can take shelter underground until the threat has passed. The meerkat which spots a predator and sounds the warning bark is the first to reappear from the burrow to see if the danger has passed. The sentry meerkat will continue to bark until it is sure there is no threat. Once it becomes silent the rest of the gang know it is safe to come out of the burrow.
It is thought meerkat warning sounds may vary depending upon the type of threat being faced by the group.
The younger members of the group will often depend upon the babysitting duties of the older females. If a warning sound is heard the babysitters will take the youngsters underground for protection. If the danger follows, the babysitter is prepared to defend the young to the point of putting itself in danger. If it is not possible to gain access to the burrow the babysitter will lie on top of the younger meerkats to protect them.
Meerkat desktop wallpapers
We have two meerkat desktop wallpapers at the moment, the pictures were taken at Knowsley Safari Park near Liverpool.
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The elephant is the largest of all land mammals. There are two main species – the African Elephant and the Asian Elephant (also known as the Indian Elephant). The African Elephant can be further divided into two subspecies – the African Bush Elephant (also known as the African Savanna Elephant) and the African Forest Elephant.
The most obvious way to identify elephants is by looking at the ears; the African Elephant has much larger ears than the Asian Elephant. The African Elephant is also much bigger than its Asian counterpart. African males can grow as tall as 3.64 meters (12ft) at the shoulder and weigh 5,455 kg (12,000 lbs). Females stand 3 meters high (10ft) and weigh around 4,000 kg (10,000 lbs).
Female elephants live most of their lives in tight family groups consisting only of females – mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts – and are led by the eldest female, the matriarch. Once a male elephant has left his natal group for good (usually around the age of fourteen), he will spend most of his time alone, only occasionnaly forming loose associations with other males in groups called bachelor herds.
Elephant numbers
Demand for ivory (which was at its height between 1970 and 1985) and the encroachment of human habitation has led to a sharp decline in elephant numbers across Africa and Asia. This has been particularly noticeable in the eastern region of Chad. As recently as 1970 the estimated elephant population in Chad was 400,000. By 2006 the number of elephants had dropped to about 10,000.
On a global scale the reduction in numbers has been just as dramatic. In 1930 there were between 5 and 10 million African elephants, by 1979 their were 1.3 million and in 2008 the figure was more like 500,000. The number of Asian elephants currently living in the wild is estimated to be 40,000 to 50,000.
On a more psotivie note, in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, the elephant population has been on the increase and this is causing problems for scientists hoping to find an alternative to culling in order to better manage the elephant population. By 2020 the numbers are expected to have risen from 14,000 to 28,000.
Elephant Desktop Wallpapers
The elephant wallpapers we have here feature African Bush Elephants (also known as African Savanna Elephants) photographed at Knowlsey Safari Park, near Liverpool.
At Knowsley Safari Park the herd consists of seven elephants; four females, one bull and two calves. The females were born in 1983, 1984 and 1987 (2) and arrived from Windsor Safari Park in 1993 (they were born in the wild in Zimbabwe). The names of the females are Buta, Shaba, Tana (Tots) and Juba (Jaba).
The bull (Nissim) was born in captivity in 1994 and is yet to father any calves. The two current calves were fathered by a bull named Kruger, who was later moved to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent (UK) to allow Nissim to mature. The calves were born in 2003 and are named Nala and Ashanti.
The herd lives in a 12 acre paddock which includes natural mud wallows, grazing areas and an elephant house. Members of the public can get close to the paddock or view the elephants from a purpose built platform (located behind the giraffe house).
FURTHER READING
Knowsley Safari Park
Knowsley Safari Park
Wikipedia
African Bush Elephant
African Savanna Elephant
African Forest Elephant
Other
Elephants Encylclopedia
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