Who remembers the character of Timon from Disney's The Lion King? Timon was of course a Disney version of the animal commonly known as a Meerkat, or Suricate. Meerkats are incredibly amusing and endearing little creatures. They are social animals and live in burrows in communes of up to 40 or 50 individuals. They also sometimes share their burrows with Yellow Mongooses and Ground Squirrels.
On a recent trip to Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa we were delighted to find a group out scavenging. Meerkats will dig in the ground in search of insects or scorpions to eat. They are always on the alert for predators, so you regularly see them standing up in the typical Meerkat stance to scan for any danger.
There is always one Meerkat who is the main sentry and will choose a higher point as a position to maintain guard. Here he is:
,
Meerkats are really cute animals and such fun to watch. 
I hope you enjoyed this little insert into the lives of Suricates.
Clear crisp photos! These little guys are so cute!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Thank you.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Haha, who doesn't remember Timon! Still weird he was all by himself though and not with his Meerkat family ;-)
Great pics and info, thanks for sharing.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Yes, I think Disney missed out on the social aspect of Meerkats. Thanks for the comment.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit