hello burrow mates
i was looking for something to watch this am and found this on the science channel. caught the last 15 mins.
its about a family of meerkats no mob names.
Grace was at home watching 4 pups while Digger, DF, DM and 3 others were out foraging. Digger spotted a baby cape cobra and was pestering it but did not get bit. when they got back to the burrow the DF decided to do a burrow change they got to their new burrow and Digger stated clearing the entrance and the rest joined in b4 they settled in it started raining it was during the winter and cold during the storm the burrow flooded an part of the burrow caved in the pups died thru the night and they lost 3 adults. the DF, DM, Grace and Digger was left to find a new home afer the DF had 1 last visit hey lost the DM to a jackle family after finding a new home, The DF to a bird of prey, which left Grace and Digger. They continued by themselves for a few days b4 Grace passed from lack of food. Digger was on his own for the first time in his life well he started looking for a new family and found a mob out foraging, SCAREFACE the DM and other males gave chase Digger hid in a burrow came out after a bit and Scareface was perched in a tree found he was no threat and allowed him in the family digger found a mate in the family and started his own family.
now comes the interesting part. Scareface looked like Yossy and he even crossed his paws like him. the scare was under the right eye.
not sure if this is new or old footage but would like to know. they showed the DF but didnt look familiar. maybe our diggers could find out.
cuddles and groomings
Mdagwoodtaz1

You can watch from beginning to end. It is a beautiful story, but I have never been able to watch it...too painful.

I think Youssy's scar was over his left eye.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6562244349917707726

Hi, does anyone know when or if this program will be aired again soon. I seem to miss it or it is on too early in the morning. Thanks
Mertcee

wow, this reminds me of something.... several months ago (at least), i caught a one hour documentary where this guy slowly habituated a very small meerkat family to his presence over a few months. it was either on AP or nat geo. but i think the researcher called the DM digger. he called the DF momma, i remember that clearly. i only saw this once, but one other thing that sticks out to me is that the researcher either was, or looked alot like, the guy on big cat diary that follows the lions. anyone else out there remember seeing this?

Yes NazarethDodo, I have seen it and IMO it's excellent. The 2002 documentary of Digger and Momma's family is called "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom: Meerkats Unmasked", created by Simon King who is also in Big Cat Diary. You can see it online in 2 parts:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5759655305665944573
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7249781149582736173

Note: This is NOT the same Digger as in "A Meerkat Family Saga", AKA "Meerkats - A Kalahari Saga" discussed above. That is also excellent but be prepared for many sad events.

Enjoy!

NazarethDodo

It is the same guy, Simon King, only slightly older. "Meerkats Unmasked" airs on AP from time to time, and it is available online as well, like kach5503 said.

hello burrow mates
what i seen it was almost on the same basis as MM with no visuals on humans and a female narrator also the DF was called mamma and the DM was called papa. and i read in another thread that yossy's scar is above his left eye
after i started the thread.
Mdagwoodtaz

Hi dagwoodtaz, I've seen your documentary too. It's called either "Meerkats - A Kalahari Saga" (as you said) or "A Meerkat Family Saga." According to my notes, it was made in 1997 and narrated by actress Linda Hunt. A description: "Features the trials of Digger, AKA Little-Boy, and his family as they struggle to survive. 'This is Digger's story -- a meerkat with the spirit of giants, of the tragedy of his family lost, and a new family found.'"

There have been discussions here on who "Scarface" is at the end. Yossarian and Zaphod were born in Sept 1998, so it couldn't be Youssy. Also you're right, his scar was above his left eye. Hope this helps. Best Wishes!

lol, i guess "digger" is a pretty popular name for male meerkats. SSSSHHHHHHH, don't tell the mm producers

Just read this thread. I'd watched the meerkat family saga before. In looking at scarface, it appears that he has a scar on the right side of his face, not over his left eye, so that and the fact that the timing isn't right for him to be Youssarian is a disappointment. How nice it would be to see him in some documentary on meerkats. sigh

Yo

There was speculation also that Scarface might have been Juma of the Jackson Five, which is one of the first mobs Tim Clutton-Brock worked with at the other park before they were asked to move on. So this was some good distance away from the Manor as we know it.

However, Scarface like Digger seems to be a very popular name for a meerkat. I don't think there will ever be a definitive answer as to what happened to the Little Digger Boy but with his will to live and highly developed skills I bet he lived for a long time as dominant male of his own family. So Mama, Papa and Grace's genes are probably still digging through that park as we think of them...

Pronker