Can someone please tell me what the Van Zylsrus are? I am reading the "Current Groups" and "Lost Groups" of meerkats and ran into that name 3 times, but it did not mention what it is. Is it a Lost Group of meerkats? If so, then how come they are not on the "Lost Groups"? Or, is it a place in the research area that meerkats like to visit and the research team likes to film them?

Van Zylsrus is a town in South Africa.

"A popular stopover for tourists on their way to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Van Zylsrus is surrounded by the rust-red dunes of the Kalahari. Boasting a cosy hotel and a teagarden, the Oasis Cafe, the town offers true Kalahari hospitality."

Hi Philmeerkat and rroser!

I found a site with info on Van Zylsrus if anyone is interested:

http://www.northerncape.org.za/getting_around/towns/Van%20Zylsrus/

Take care
Flotosbea

phil, was it the "van helsing" group you are referring to. they are a new group formed by evicted whiskers females and wild males. flo is their DF? oops that's not it. the van zylsrus is the name given to the current study area. that is why the first symbol in every meerkat's id number is "v". this differentiates their id numbers from the previous study site (way before meerkat manor) of the kmp which was the gemsbok park location.

oops again!!!!!!! i didn't get to edit in time. the van helsing were formed by evicted aztec (kinda the same as whiskers) evicted females

No, I know about the Van Helsing group, but they mentioned Van Zylsrus a few times in the Meerkats Groups of the fkmp, and they made it seem like it was a group, but I could not find them in the "Lost Group" or "Current Group" of the fkmp until rrosser informed me on what it was. Thanks rrosser!