Hi Mitchsthebest, I don't like it either. The Whiskers and Aztecs may squabble over territory, but I hope they don't hurt each other!
One thing we know: Meerkat Manor producers want the storylines to be dramatic and exciting, so they may exaggerate fights between the two groups. Sometimes they also substitute a completely different group for the one it's supposed to be. For example, in past seasons the Whiskers really fought with the Young Ones, not the Zappa. We know this from the KMP Life History Reports and the long distance between the two groups' territories.
Another interesting fact: If we go back a couple of generations, we see that most of the KMP meerkats are related! This happens because male rovers frequently mate with and join other mobs, and new mobs form from evicted females and male rovers. Carlos and the Starskys are one example. From a broad perspective, the Kalahari meerkats are all members of a big extended family.
I hope reminding myself of these things will help me to not get upset while watching S4. It's worth a try. Best Wishes!
Of course this would not have happened! Flower was the sole dominant and any other whiskers ranked below her. She ruled, she made the rules, she fought those Zappas, and was the strongest dom.F around. If se was still here and Maybelline tried to take half the whiskers like she did... Flower would evict her big time..... maybe even kill her. This would never have happened if Flower was still around... and the whiskers would still be a close nit family.
Personally speaking, I really understood the filling in with different groups, etc. however, the resurecting of dead kats puts a totally new spin on things. Now I believe nothing they say, nothing. So don't necessarily believe the Whiskers/Astecs fight to the death. Who knows? Maybe they still recognize family?
Since the first season of MeerManor, theyve said, and showed, that groups will kill any pups from another group whenever possible. Since the Aztecs and Whiskers both have pups that are non-familar to each others group, it would seem ridiculous to think that each wouldn't fight to protect their own. A groups only chance of sustaining itself is by re-generating itself, isn't it?
Agree Bishonmom. Resurecting dead kats is Totally not necesary!
There's no evidense at all that the Whiskers and the Aztec are trying to kill each other! Please read the LH/ Everytime they met so far, they just exchange some members, etc, but they certainly don't kill each other. In fact it looks like they recognize each other, case in point Zaph and his band of Rovers who ran into the Aztec and stayed, clearly considering them as family.
Good observation sunshine 1, Zaphod stayed. I also think that too much is made of Maybelline leaving. Flower was the only DF that this group knew and with her being gone, all of the group was left to their own ways of dealing with it. Maybelline wanted to protect her pups. Kats are known to kill pups of SF's and she wanted to insure their safety, and if the only way she could was to strike out on her own, I will never say she was doing anything other than being a young mother in a group that did not have a mature leader. I think that there were 7 pups at the time of the split and overcrowing is dangerous if not deadly to these kats. More competition for food, burrows getting infested with parasites, TB is a concern, IMO, it is just a matter of trying to live.
When a meerkat group gets as large as the Whiskers group permanent splits are common. After being separated for a long period of time they begin to see each other as rivals. That's nature. Even if they know they are related, at some point protective instincts will kick in, and fights are likely if the encounter each other.
FYI....Maybelline did not leave to protect her pups. None of the pups born shortly after Flower died were Maybelline's. According to the March 08 naming list, those pups belong to either Flo (aka Rocky), Petra, or Ella (aka Mango).
Hello geniebelle! Nice to meet you. I agree that it is instinct and nature. Things after JE are kind of blurry for me, I remember that Maybelline did cause a stir when there was to be a move, so none of the pups were hers? I also recall that when she did leave, it seems that she ended up with pups in her group. I may be completely mistaken, with all of the different kat names and the saddness of S3 and the news in the LH report it is hard to keep up!
Take care and see you around the burrow! Flotosbea
If remember correctly there is only usually a window of 3 - 4 days that the pups are in danger of being killed. Weren't these pups much older than that? If so, then that wasn't the reason Mabs split the group.
Hello bischonmom, you are correct, the pups were older. That never occurred to me. As always, your wisdom is MOST appreciated. I guess the pups just kind of ended up with Maybelline in the split. When she was keeping everybody away from them before the split, I just assumed some of them were hers. Interesting twist!
ok first off, it was a simple group split that occurs in large groups...sometimes they re-unite and sometimes they don't...in this case they didn't...
welcome back Geniebelle, just wanted to point out that Flo isn't Rocky....Rocky is Hawkeye, she was one from Mitch's litter and Flo was one from columbus' litter. but yeah, Flo, Ella and Petra were the ones that gave birth to that mixed litter....
I agree with Rattiesrules about the division being a simple group split. Seems like the split was inevitable given their size and Rocket Dog's inexperience as group leader.
Now that ex-Whiskers are members of the Commandos, Baobob, Toyota and Van Helsing as well as the Aztecs, I worry about the possibility of interactions in the future. Guess that will depend on foraging conditions and the proximity of group territories.
I've said this before......I think Maybelline did herself a favor by instigating a group split. If she hadn't, she would have suffered the same fate as a lot of SF's and been evicted, perhaps permanently and died all alone. This way she isn't alone, and her group stands a good chance of making it. I mean, it's been over a year since Maybelline's split, and the Aztecs are still going strong, and she's had a successful litter of pups!
One of the things I like so much about Maybelline/Monkulus is that she knew what she needed to do and acted on it. The truth is that both RD and Monkulus were DF material, and the split was to both group's benefit. This way, both the Aztecs and the Whiskers got great leaders.
absolutely zettak! flower's, and zaphod/yosarian's offspring are flourishing and it is so wonderful. with them the bloodlines of holly, aragon, vivian, and other meerkats we never got to "see" continue as well. some here are saying it is sad that the whiskers split, but 40+ groups of meerkats are highly unusual for obvious reasons. i couldn't be happier with the number of whiskers born meerkats are now dominants of other groups.
I know I mistakenly thought that Maybelline had pups, but the move made sense with or without her having her own pups. These posts sum it up in a very good way!
Good evening bischonmom! I thought I heard something about a litter, but with all of the different names and all of the upcoming events, I felt that I could be mistaken. OH the confusion!?!
bischonmom, no the split occured in March 2007, the only pups in the group were Burdock, Rhogan Josh, Amira, Squig, Chiriqui, Rufus, Etosha and Murray who were from a mixed litter that were mothered by Ella, Petra and Flo...and were foraging for the first time so they were about 4 weeks old...Maybelline/Monkulus didn't have her first litter until December 2007 when she gave birth to Marmite, Tofu, Abaca, and Piglet in the Aztecs..
Mitchsthebest, yup, all the groups are related somehow...ex. Flower's mom Holly and her aunts were Young ones females who met up with Lazuli males...Zaphod and Yossarian were Vivians males (Nikita off of MM was actual Rhian Vivian, older sister to Zaphod and Yossarian), and their brother Alexander went to the young ones...then there pups born to females who mated with roving males, etc, etc...like Axel is Zaphod's nephew...because Alexander is Zaphod's brother...see how the groups all intertwine with one another?
HOW COULD A FAMILY TORN IN 2, TRY AND KILL EACHOTHER AS THE WHISKERS AND AZTECS DO?? 
DO ANYBODY THINK THIS WOULD OF HAPPENED IF FLOWER WAS STILL HERE?