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PAW PRINTS - February 2007

The Voice of Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center, Inc.

 

Kendi takes on afternoon guard duty while Rafiki sneaks in a "Kat Nap"
Photo credit: D.A. Robertson

Happy 2007 to all of our honorary "Mob Members" and friends from around the world! Last year was a veritable whirlwind for us at the Center. So many wonderful things occurred, but the most satisfying for us was to see the world of meerkats come alive for so many people through Animal Planet's wildly popular Meerkat Manor series which debuted early last year. (The third series begins summer of 2007.) We were extremely flattered to be partnered with Animal Planet on their stunning accomplishment. We have so much to tell you about the ongoing series and our continued involvement, but first and foremost, we want you to know that the meerkats at Fellow Earthlings' are happy, healthy, and thriving! We count our blessings every day for the health and well being of our animals and for you - our loyal and supportive extended family.

Currently, we are in the midst of a classic "Kalahari" winter, complete with clear, cold days and downright frigid nights! As many of you know, Morongo Valley was chosen as the location for Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center specifically because the climate closely resembles that of the meerkats' native Kalahari Desert in southern Africa. Even so, we humans take care to ensure our "wee ones" are comfy and cozy all winter long.

All the meerkat enclosures have an elevated wooden platform on which the den boxes are placed. Plexiglas panels surround the platform to protect them from the wind. In addition to the heat lamps we have suspended in the wind shelter, each meerkat family has an outdoor bed strategically placed under the heat lamp for them to enjoy on cold days. The den boxes include maze interiors that lead to inner chambers which contain zoo quality heat pads and specially made blankets for the meerkats. Additionally, we have a wind generator, gasoline generator, and solar panels for the safety and comfort of the animals. For extra insurance, we purchased a "farm alarm." This device is plugged into an electrical socket in the main cottage. If the power goes off in the middle of the night the alarm blares (very loudly!) 60 seconds after the electricity is off. This would wake the caretaker living on site and alternate power could then be used to keep the meerkats warm and snug.

So, as most of the country shivers away the winter, our little critters are luxuriating in their cozy dens and anticipating a warm breakfast of scrambled eggs and a variety of succulent bugs. A "smorgas-bug." Ah, the life! But, as you who have visited can attest, they deserve it!

Remi and Suri share their chair and a bit of morning sunshine while awaiting the arrival of their "smorgas-bug" breakfast
Photo Credit: D.A. Robertson

OUR MEERKATS APPEAR ON THE TODAY SHOW

With the unprecedented success of Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor, and our director, Pam Bennett-Wallberg, being chosen as the spokesperson for the series, we have been as busy as a mob of meerkats foraging after the spring rains. Our humble little Center was, once again, called upon by Animal Planet as the second series debuted. Pam was interviewed by numerous newspapers around the country; including The Washington Post, The Boston Herald, and The Los Angeles Times. Additionally, she was interviewed for an article in the November 20, 2006 issue of TV Guide. We were also featured on NBC News and MSNBC's Count Down show with Keith Olbermann. It was amazing to see Pam and our very own meerkats on television!

Pam Bennett-Wallberg gives a meerkat briefing to the Today Show film crew prior to "Take One!"

But, the most exciting event was the visit from The Today Show film crew in October. We were thrilled to be featured on this very popular morning show.

We thought you might like to read about our day with The Today Show film crew. It was great fun and we had a lot of laughs as we tried to get the "perfect" meerkat film clip. Our critters were delighted to be the center of attention and they displayed all the cheeky, sassy, inquisitive, and unpredictable characteristics that exemplify this endearing species.

This is how the "shoot" went: Upon arrival, the film crew gave us a list of instructions. The producer had a vision of the "ideal" shot and it went something like this...

"OK, first, I'd like the meerkats to run out together, on cue, circle around, face the camera, and then stand up in front of the correspondent as he speaks into the camera." Pam and assistant director, Denise Robertson, rolled their eyes simultaneously.

Pam chuckled and said, "You do know these are wild animals and not exactly trained, right? Although they are pretty good little actors, it's anyone's guess what they'll actually do once the cameras are rolling. But hey, let's give it a whirl."

And so, the afternoon unfolded:

"Take One!" Bara (our little meerkat diva) ran to the right spot, exactly on cue. And then, just as the correspondent began his monologue, Bara turned her back to the camera, put her rear end in the air and started a major excavation, flinging dirt all over the camera lens. It took the camera man 10 minutes to remove the grit from his expensive equipment. We called this "Take One - China or Bust."

"Take Two!" The door to the enclosure ramp was opened and the meerkats came racing out - right on cue. But, instead of running toward the camera, they simply turned around and raced right back the way they'd come. We called this "Take Two - It's the journey, not the destination."

"Take Three!" Pam forgot to hide the "Bug Mug." The meerkats dashed out but, being meerkats, they found the "Bug Mug" far more interesting than the crew who were valiantly trying to get the meerkats within camera range by flapping their arms and making odd noises. The meerkats promptly stretched out in the sun and enjoyed the human show. We called this "Take Three - And, they call us animals?"

"Take Four!" The door to the ramp was raised, but there were no meerkats in sight. Denise hopped over the barrier wall to find them totally uninterested in the filming, but completely engrossed in displaying their latest war dance to the meerkats in the adjacent enclosure. ARRRGH...

"Take Five!" The ramp door was raised and the meerkats came racing out, exactly on cue, (it's working! it's working!) and raced right past everyone - the correspondent, the camera man, the sound man, and the bugs. After the meerkats were completely out of camera range, they stopped at the far side of the enclosure, struck a perfect pose in the sun, and looked back at us with a smirk that clearly said "Ha, fooled ya again!"

Somewhere between Take 6 and 8 we decided to regroup. One valuable lesson we've learned from working with meerkats came in handy: When all else fails, food prevails. Pam and Denise covered the poor correspondent with worms! They made a circle of worms around his body, put worms in his hands, on his shoulders, and on his legs. We wanted to sprinkle a few in his hair, but the correspondent vigorously declined. We knew the key to a meerkat's heart was worms, worms, worms and it worked like a charm! The meerkats couldn't wait to get their paws on the stalwart correspondent and they literally foraged their way through the shot by snapping up the succulent worms as he talked about how fascinating this amazing species is. So, although the meerkats didn't EXACTLY cue to the perfect place in the sun and stand up in a classic meerkat stance, it turned out to be a great little clip. And, leave it to Bara, who stole the show by standing right next to the correspondent's head at the perfect moment. Such a little star!

Bara "goes for the Bug Mug" during a break in the Today Show film shoot
Photo credit: D.A. Robertson

We thank the marvelous Today Show crew for taking the challenge of filming our meerkats with such aplomb. The crew members were kind, patient, really good sports, and a pleasure to work with.

CENTER NEWS

As you can imagine, the Meerkat Manor series has shone a spotlight not only on meerkats, but also on our little Center.

Through it all, we marvel because 20 years ago when Pam first began the challenge of securing the permits and licenses needed to care for meerkats, very few people knew anything about these magical, intelligent animals. Now, they have become the darlings of the Kalahari and the subject of great public interest. Pam frequently mutters, "Who woulda thought?"

Happily, our meerkats are oblivious to their fame and although the workload on we humans has increased significantly, we continue our mission of giving the animals the highest level of care possible, while providing a unique and memorable experience for our adoptive parents. With our adoptions increasing due to the publicity, we remain steadfast in not changing or compromising the experience of visiting the Center in any way. Although we have had to turn away donations because we are booking visits very far in advance, we still want to provide a magical and quality experience by hosting just one adoptive group at a time. We could have multiple groups visit simultaneously, however, we strongly feel the visits should be sweet, unrushed, and customized for each adoptive parent. "Getting bigger by acting smaller" is the path we've chosen and we will not stray from it.

We ask for those who have adopted to please book your visit as far in advance as possible. Four month's notice is usually a good rule of thumb. If we are booked, please be patient and understand that we want each of you to have the very best visit possible with all the attention and time you deserve. Additionally, if your timetable to visit the Center is narrow and we are booked, please remember that we will happily refund 100 % of your donation to the meerkats.

FOUNDATION GIFT

The meerkats at the Center were the happy and very grateful recipients of a grant from the Dreier Family Foundation in Santa Barbara, California. We send heart-felt thanks to the Dreier family for their kindness and generosity.

ENCLOSURE UPDATE

Our newest enclosure is almost 80% complete!
Photo credit: D.A. Robertson

While our recently opened enclosure is being thoroughly enjoyed by the meerkats, our next new enclosure is rapidly coming to completion! This will soon be the home for Bara, Jengo, and Nalo; they'll have over three times more space in their new "digs!" After the walls went up, we were amazed to realize that it is much larger than the cottage Pam lives in! We will wait until the weather warms up before moving the meerkats. We'll take as much time as needed to acclimate them, in stages, before moving them permanently. Of course, we will bring along all their furnishings including their den box so everything will smell like home.

Rooster Cogburn, (lower left corner) our resident building inspector, gives his "beak of approval" to the newest enclosure
Photo credit: D.A. Robertson

Security Fence Fund

Most of you remember the harrowing story of the wildfire that swept through the high desert in June of 2005. The Center was thankfully saved by the heroic firefighters, however our entire perimeter fence received extensive damage, with most of our fence posts either burning entirely or being extremely damaged. Although we have wanted to replace the fence for some time, our priority has been focused on building new enclosures for our "wee ones", thus all extra funds have been funneled toward this goal for the last year and a half.

Now that we are nearing completion, we have realized the importance of constructing a security fence along the front and side of the acreage before moving the meerkats to their "new digs." Although we don't have much traffic on our dirt road, the new enclosures are in a clearing (for maximum sun exposure!) and, thus, are very visible from the road. We want to provide a totally safe and secure environment for the meerkats. Of course, we don't want people stopping, staring, and possibly climbing the fence to see the meerkats. So, we've decided not to move them until we are completely secure. We have received estimates for the security fence, we just need the funds! Our fund raising campaign includes our pledge to put 5% of our merchandise sales toward this project. As you know, with no paid staff, 100% of all proceeds and donations go exclusively to caring for the meerkats. Our first priorities are always food, supplies, bedding, veterinary care, and utilities. But, we decided we could stash away just a wee bit from our merchandise sales because every little bit helps.

The estimates we received for all materials and labor to secure half of our 2 1/2acre property (the most vulnerable front side) range between $15,000-$16,000. We have managed to save $1,000 so far toward this goal. As we were strategizing on how we were going to afford the much needed fence, we remembered that many of you in our extended "mob" have asked us to alert you to any special needs we have at the Center. So, for all of you angels out there, this is our new goal! The sooner we can fund and build the fence, the sooner we can move the meerkats into their new enclosure! We are humbly hoping for 100 "Angel Donors" to step forward and pledge $150 each toward the security fence fund. Our goal is to have the fence constructed and in place by mid-summer so we can move Bara, Jengo, and Nalo into their "new digs" while the weather is optimal.

We thank you for helping us make this happen! If you would like to be one of our special "Angel Donors," we invite you to visit our donation page where you can donate through the convenient Pay Pal system. You may also send a check or money order made out to Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center to P.O. Box 1319, Morongo Valley, CA 92256. Please advise us that your donation is for the security fence fund. We will keep everyone apprised of our progress in future newsletters so you can celebrate with us when we reach our goal!

Bara, Jengo and Nalo waiting patiently for their new enclosure to be completed as visions of "moving day" dance in their heads....

TWO MAJOR MOTION PICTURES FEATURING MEERKATS

We like to save the best for last, so in closing, we want to let you know there are two motion pictures featuring meerkats currently in production! Animal Planet revealed this news to us some time ago, but we were sworn to secrecy until the announcement was made after Pam was interviewed by the New York Times on December 17, 2006. Both films are mentioned in the article. One movie is currently being filmed at the Meerkat Manor site by Animal Planet and the other is being filmed at another site by by the BBC (British Broadcast Corporation). Both movies will debut in theaters in December 2007! It certain seems to be shaping up to be the "Year of the Meerkat!"

More than ever, we are enormously grateful to have these very special creatures grace our lives and we recognize that they are the reason we have such a strong and supportive network of adoptive parents whom we regard as family. Thank you for assisting us in our mission by re-adopting a meerkat every year , by participating in our "Vittles for the Critters" program and by simply being vitally interested in our meerkats and our endeavor. We are looking forward to a prosperous and laughter filled year and we hope to see many of you in the very near future. In the meantime, take care of one another and know the meerkats send you big thanks for everything you do to make their lives fulfilling, safe, and enriching.

Photo credit: Roberta Stacy

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Paw Prints is written quarterly by Denise A. Robertson of Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center