Meerkats as Pets

If you’ve seen The Lion King, you probably remember Timon, one of the funny supporting characters of the animated film. Timon and his trusty partner Pumba, actually get their own movie entitled The Lion King 1½. It basically tells their side of the story. How they helped out Simba regain the throne and restore balance to the circle of life. It is funnier compared to the other Lion King movies so kids and kids at heart will definitely love it. 

Many people actually get confused with what type of animal Timon is. Timon is actually a meerkat, one of the most common animals found in the African savannah. Meerkats look like weasels, only they are wilder and harder to tame. These animals may look like cats, but they are actually more related to the mongoose. They are known for their ability to dig vast connections of tunnels and holes that have different opening on the ground. They will only leave their burrows during daytime and stay inside to protect and conceal themselves at night. They usually weigh at an average of 1.61 pounds and have long, slender limbs and bodies that are usually 10 to 14 inches long, with trails growing to about 6 to 9 inches long. 

Keeping a meerkat as a pet is a huge challenge, even for the seasoned exotic pet owner. In certain nature reserves, wild meerkats actually approach humans since they are very used to seeing human beings during safari tours. However, in the wild meerkats are very shy creatures and will quickly run for cover if they feel that something is approaching them.  In fact, so strong is the prey instinct in meerkats that they will duck from cover when they see airplanes, which they mistake as hawks and eagles, their main predators.

If you are planning to keep one as a pet, make sure you get one that is already domesticated. You will need to have a big pen where the Meerkat can stay and burrow in. Feed it small lizards and insects and give it fresh water every day. Meerkats can be fierce when cornered, so be sure to approach them with caution.

 Meerkats Video

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