Eh,dont worry about it...

I agree, ccatz. I think I would have gone digging and reading the spoilers anyway, but I have decided to enjoy what AP shows us and still continue to try and piece together their real lives from FKMP, KMP, the KMP publications, and reading posts from folks in the know like Pronker.

The book is Meerkat Manor Flower of the Kalahari
by Dr. Tim Clutton-Brock. Go to amazon.com to find it.

Do you have a link to where we could buy the book?

Edit - Nevermind. Thank you.

Would someone please tell me (post) the link in which I can buy this book.

Is it available in the US yet?

Thanks!

seen the hard cover on amazon.com

Yo

Copy and paste into your browser:

http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/HB-42338/Meerkat-Manor.htm

or

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0297844849/ref=pd_bbs_olp_1/103-0679485-4698228?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193186518&sr=8-1

Pronker

Exactly what Atilla (was it Atilla?) said, AP is just doing their best to piece together a story that will keep viewers interested. If viewers are not interested, the show will be cancelled. I guess what I'm saying is that we should allow AP some "poetic license" to do their job. If they didn't it would probably be very boring and no one would watch it. As far as the bodies, I still could not watch Mozart die, but I understand why they do show the bodies. Its so there is proof of the death and, also like someone said, to provide closure for us - those who love them. I really feel that all (researchesrs, AP) are doing their best for the Meerkats and us. The problem is that we love them so much - they have become family.

I am so sad this morning. We had the last episode I believe last evening, I didn't watch, but caught it on rerun this morning. Sean comments that in the next episode Kinkajoo and her sister.... However, I know that Kinkajoo is dead, she died in the episode played here last week.

Is that how it ends? I couldn't watch the last episode last night and then couldn't watch it today. They have ripped my heart out with Shakespeare and Flower and the babies. And now I caught the last five minutes and they managed to tear my heart out again. Not Mozart! I don't know if I can ever watch again.

hi. these questions are for those of you who have already bought & received the book in the US...

how long did it take to get it from date ordered? also, did u just use regular delivery service or expedited? Thanks!

Hey, I've never seen this discussed and was unaware of it:

"Each individual has a unique pattern of die marks allowing for easy identification and, should the marks rub off, they all have a tiny transponder inserted under their skin allowing the researchers to positively identify each and any of their study animals."

This is from one of the cameramen on MM in 2004/2005 (http://www.iawf.org.uk/index.aspx?page=2&articleid=1005).

I knew about the markings, but has anyone ever heard or commented on these transponders? Seems like they could clear up a lot of questions of positive ID (i.e., Shakes).

Also, in reading through the Lost Gangs section on KMP, I was surprised/alarmed how many meerkats are run over by cars!

Thank you for letting us know where we can purchase the books. All the information I have read has helped me alot. Thanks to each and everyone of you. God Bless all of you.

Hi pixelpop,

I just posted this on another thread: The KMP Earthwatch Field Guide tells about microchipping on pg. 5.

It's interesting. Enjoy!

OOPS. I forgot the link:

http://kalahari-meerkats.com/fileadmin/files/EW_Field_Guide_07_short.pdf

kach, good work! A MUST READ for all MM fans!!

Not to be too insensitive, but I suppose microchips can only provide so much info. If a kat is predated, the microchip may not be left with the remains. I guess the only way to know for sure would be if the microchip was found in a jackal turd (sorry, couldn't think of a better way to say it).

I do have one beef with the Field Guide though. It states on page 6 (para 1.3) that "the maintenance of habituated meerkat groups is one of the most important things that we (and you) do on a daily basis." I guess that statement is selectively enforced; otherwise Carlos would have gotten some antibiotics in order to maintain the Starskys. I think we would all agree that his death pretty much sealed the fate of that habituated group!!!

Yah, Pixel, and someone could have injected Flower with atropine to keep her breathing...but, the statement you read may have another meaning such as maintenance of the study's everyday activities i.e. finding a group, walking around with them, weighing them, feeding them eggs and water, recording their events...or, it may mean something entirely different.

ff...I agree with your suggestions on the meaning of "maintaning" the gang, but I think a large part of that maitnenance is to keep a habituated gang up and going. Gangs are not easily habitated completely (all members completely habitated), so whe you have a gang that is, it would seem prudent to do everything possible to keep that gang viable. They have had plenty of opportunities to observe the disolution of gangs that were not habituated.

As for Flower, she had two things working against her: 1) her death would not result in the collapse of the Whiskers gang (quite the opposite; her death provided an excellent chance to study the DF power struggle in a habituated gang), and 2) according to producer Mick Kaczorowski, "The bite happened underground. It wasn't until Flower emerged that everyone actually saw the swelling. At that point, you have to let nature take its course. There was no way we could intercede or change the effects of the poison."

Interesting. FWIW, my interpretation of the "maintenance of habituated meerkat groups" in the Earthwatch Field Manual is different. I thought it meant that Earthwatch volunteers need to follow the rules (e.g., move slowly and calmly and quietly, regularly give reassurance calls) in order to maintain the meerkats' trust that humans are harmless. Doing something that makes the meerkats afraid of us would decrease, rather than maintain or improve, habituation.

FYI: Definition of habituation: to accustom by frequent repetition or prolonged exposure.

JMHO. Best Wishes! I'm glad you found the Field Guide as interesting as I did.

AP finally got their log-in issues resolved! :-)

Anywho....

kach...I guess this is splitting the preverbial hair, but the statement in question says "maintenance of habituated meerkat groups", not "maintenance of the habituation of meerkat groups." In other words, I read the guide to say "maintenance of groups" rather than "maintenance of habituation." The maintenance of habituation would involve exactly what you said (move slowly and calmly and quietly, regularly give reassurance calls, maintaning trust, etc.). Maintneance of the group would be assuring that the habituated group remained viable to the greatest extent possible (i.e., giving Carlos some assitance to maintain the Starskys).

An interesting debate, to be sure.

Just MHO :-)

Hey kach...small world. I was reading some other posts of yours and you signed with "Kathy H in Dallas, TX, USA".

Jim T in Dallas, TX, USA here! :-)

I got my book and it has beautiful pictures in it. It is a good book. I need to reread again and do some studying.

eruth

It is my understanding that humans brought TB to the Kalahari. If the Starsky mob had TB, could it be passed back to the researchers?

Someone posted that Flower had not been well before her death and that may have been why she let her pregnant daughters stay in the Whiskers. It makes sense since Mozart tried to evict Daisy without reason and Flower did nothing - which was not her style. Does anyone know if, or what, had been wrong with our Flower?

In the book it states that she was in poor health. It had been a very hard winter and she was not well. So sad!

I finally get my book, either tomorrow or Thursday...depending on my mail guy..I'm looking foward to cuddling up with my furbabies, a box of tissues, and the book..I wonder if her health is the reason that she was not able to fight the posion in her body?
christopher9691...just wanted to say hi and hope that you have a wonderful trip!

Thank you Meerkat053: Hope you get the book soon. It is wonderful..and sad and great all in one. Beautiful pics..2 of Flower...Thank you and I will have a good time in Vegas.... Have fun on the Mozart site Thursday. I am sure it will be full. I hope we can all visit it at a later time. That would be nice. I have to go eat dinner, so maybe I will be back a little later... Take care...

I got my book earlier today and I'm almost finished with it. I noticed that on pg. 211 it mentions Len and Squiggy. On MM they showed Len taken by a bird of prey, but according to this both he and Squiggy were abandoned by RD's group because they were weak.

I also have a question about the Chronology. On 09/29/2000 Artemis gave birth to 2 pups. One was called Ugly Pup, a male. Yet on 12/06/01 he says Ugly Pup gives birth. Her litter dies and on 03/22/02 she had 3 more pups that died/killed or predated.

Now I'm confused.

Good morning, Rrosser. There are a few such inconsistencies in the book. I think they may be a combination of poor editing, and some poor information at the time of writing, or misreading a code. Ugly Pup was female.

One of these inconsistencies, for example, he lists Petra as having died as pup, but she is later mentioned as being the mother of some of the combined litter's pups (the eight pups)

About the microchips...they're supposedly like the microchips that are put into pet dogs and cats here in the U.S. In order to get any information off of those, the person with the little hand-held information-taker thingy has to wave it really, really close to the area where the microchip was implanted, in order to get a "read" off of it (bas