I just posted the April life history report - a few sad things (the worst of which Pronker told you a few days ago...), but also several new litters!
A few notes: Rocket Dog was found dead on 23-April - her accident was not witnessed by anyone from the KMP. The Whiskers and several other groups have been living along the public road for some months. The Polaris group is last seen; Carravagio was found dead, and the rest of the group was not yet habituated, and could not be found. Miles and Ningaloo have become dominants of their respective groups, while the previous dominant males were absent.
Poor little RD! Still in shock over that Way to go Ningaloo! Dudley and Clive are both DMs now! I'm assuming Baker is OK then, since he's not listed as anything bad happened to him - just Miles took an opportunity to take over??
I didn't see any group with pregnant meerkats, could this be true? I hoped that some groups would have been looking to increase there numbers.
Poor Rascals are showing only 3 members. How can they continue? Even with a sucessful litter of pups, that is not enough members. While one is babysitting, the other 2 would be food forajing, but still, one of them would have to be the sentry. Can it be done? Does anybody know if a group of 3 has ever managed to survive such an improbable odds?
Sunshine-1, I thought Columbus was DM of Whiskers. MachuPicu has been Columbus all except when the female pup Kim portrayed Columbus as a pup. Didn't Pronker tell us that earlier?
Thinking about KIM, didn't she also get killed on the main road? I wonder if the researchors can give us a number of meekrats killed by vehicles over the last 10 years?
Poco, you are probably right about MP portraying Columbus, but MP is Didley (or Clive). Columbus was the brave explorer pup Kim with all that potential but who was killed on the road, as you say, just like RD and Apollo (or Apollo's brother). There was only one Columbus for me, I was watching for that pup, and so now he's dead, no matter who is playing him. Sophis is also gone (although by no means dead) although they have other play her.
The edge of the Whiskers' territory is crossed by the public road. The road crosses the Elveera, Kung Fu, and Commandos territories.
Miles Whiskers is DM of the Commandos (in the place of his brother Baker), and Ningaloo Whiskers is the DM of the Kung Fu (Clinton Baptiste Frisky, the previous DM was last seen, like one of the wild males of the group as well). Another success for Flower's boys.
No pups for the Aztecs, same pair of dominants (Maybelline/Monkulus, Zaphod).
The Baobab had 3 pups, Hawkeye the DF, and Cruise gave birth.
The Commandos had 3 pups, an older pup was predated, and Zorilla, the DF aborted her litter.
The Drie Doring had 3 pups.
The Elveera had 3 pups, the DF Jo Jo Hello gave birth.
The Frisky had 3 pups, a pup was predated.
The Geckos had 4 pups, Jemima, and Suzi gave birth.
The Kung Fu males Clinton Baptiste Frisky, the previous DM, and a wild were last seen. No pups.
No pups for the Lazuli, same pair of dominants (Aretha, J. Alfred Prufrock).
The Moomins had no pups, Misable lost her litter, a pup was predated. Same pair of dominants: Grumpy, Leonardo (wild).
Less members for the Nutters (?).
The Polaris was last seen, Carravagio died.
The Rascals have only 3 members, Islay lost her litter, and the wild DM Hoki was absent at the end of the month. Blondie is still the DF. This is not good news.
No pups for the Toyota. Finn lost her litter.
The Van Helsing had 5 pups, Flo lost her litter, Billy gave birth.
The Whiskers have 14 members, Ella is the new DF, after Rocket Dog's death, and Machu Pichu is still the DM. They were 3 pups born.
The Zappa had 3 pups, a pup was predated.
poco72
They are no pregnant females, but they were a lot of pups born last month. This is the "off" season for female meerkats. It's almost winter in the Kalahari.
I know this is a stupid question or statement but can't they get the groups out of the area and away from the main road? They will all eventually get killed if they stay there. What to do? Oh.. I cannot stand this.
Thank you everyone and epecially zettak for the LH report.....some groups with only 3? Reminds me of the Starsky. I hope we do not have to relive that episode again.
Thankx Sunshine1 I didnt know that Apollo was also killed on the road Not having my own computer, I don't get many chances to visit this forum, and definately not as much often as I'd like to. I am taking full use of my chance to do so now and am finally catching up a tad. So very much to learn. I do wish that Meerkat Manor would stop changing names of the meerkats! I don't want some other meerkat to play Sophie!!!!!
The three Rascals members are females. It will be difficult for them to survive. There is not too much roving going on this time of the year (and the following months).
Incidents where meerkats were hit by a vehicle (from the FKMP): The small Jackals group was last seen after a car ran over all three males on the main road in 2005. Delpheus a Lazuli male, member of the very small QQ group was run over in 2001, and with him the group ended. Three Whiskers were run over by vehicles. They might be more cases.
Carravagio of the Hoax, and the Polaris was found dead. Is the cause of death known?
Remember there is no real meerkat named Columbus. He is a character. A character introduced in an episode called "An Awfully Big Adventure". He was played by a female pup named Kim who surprised everyone by going out to forage with the adults, the day after she and her littermates, Flo and Finn emerged. Unfortunately Kim was hit by a vehicle and taken from us way too soon, just as Vialli, Butch Cassidy and now Rocket Dog.
Dudley and Clive are also characters not real meerkats. If you noticed after the litter is announced they are only mentioned a few times mainly during a group split where Dudley and Clive go with one splinter and Petra and MaryPat go with the other. MaryPat disappears altogether and we never hear of her again.
This litter was Machu Pichu, Ningaloo, Petra and Popkat.
In subsequent episodes the continuing character of Columbus was played mostly by Machu Pichu and sometimes Ningaloo. Petra though present in not mentioned.
Finn and Flo were playing Daisy in Season three. Both of them have gone on to found other groups now. It will be interesting to see what they say about Daisy and Sophie, who is also gone.
So these two litters were interchanged freely in the episodes. Dudley has not been mentioned at all, only Columbus's character continues, so he is played by Machu Pichu, not Dudley who was simply another character created to present a litter.
It will be interesting to see if they rename Ningaloo yet again since he is with another group.
It sure would be easier if they just kept the names of the real kats, even it they interchanged scenes of this one and that.
And what oh what will they do about Mitch? He was a hero and featured in S2. Sigh...
Shakespeare, Mitch, Jogu, and McMurfy, also. Weren't Jogu and McMurfy sons of Mozart? What has become of those 2? I remember the episode following Flower's death where *supposedly* Jogu and Mcmurfy attacked the DM of Zappa while RocketDog attacked the DF. Of course this wasn't the real Zappa, but the fight scene wasn't staged. So Jogu & McMurfy were REALLY good warriors for the Whiskers. Where have they run off to? I guess I should have said Maladoy instead of McMurfy. So what gives?
hi poco, jogu and mcmurphy (aka maladoy) are tosca's (aka badiel)'s sons. mozart did have a surviving litter besides the one with sophie (aka tina sparkle) and spud, but that litter is not featured on meerkat manor for some crazy reason.
It's a typo. The previous DM of the Kung Fu (that was last seen in April 2008) was Clinton Baptiste of Frisky (VFM123). It's in the report. When the Current Groups page was updated yesterday, the "Frisky" name was attached to Ningaloo, who is a Whiskers (VWM085). The Kung Fu were founded in October 2007 by Ningaloo Whiskers, Wollow Whiskers (that emigrated to the Whiskers later), Kleintjie, and Benzendrine, the two evicted Commandos females, Clinton Baptiste of Frisky, and two wild males. Kleintjie (Gattaca born) , and Zorilla, the DF of the Commandos, are the two last remaining Gattaca.
why did Flower leave so soon? I kinda doubt that the Wiskers will recover. Flower was the best thing that ever happened to that family. She was the reason that the Wiskers are the main group in MM.
And why do AP change the meerkat's names? I mean, it's so confusing. I gave up trying to figure out months ago.
I also noticed, that it took Ella a matter of days to become DF but it took RD 5 weeks!
Hello all! I realize this is "off topic" for this thread, but the "brains" seem to be here. There is a member in South America and he says he is on the schedule for the UK and although he has found info on the movie for the US, he asks about the airing on TV for the UK viewers. I will be glad to see that I post the info where we have discussed this, or, his name is georgewhiskers1 and his post is on "Flower Memorial" the thread is "Some new home for our Queen". Any help is appreciated!
Hi FTMR! I agree, too many names. I know that Tosca is Badiel but I also see something about her being Ella, there seems to be two Ellas. I have posted on another thread to get this cleared up!
It is a shame that Flower is gone. I only hope that the Whiskers and all of the kats do well!
I'm getting sad with these reports, it just seems our favorites aren't doing so well. I am sad to hear the Whiskers territory neighbors the road, I certainly hope more tragedies do not occur. I still feel so bad for RD. I watched a MM Marathon yesterday and was so saddened to see her take over the DM position and try so hard to make things right only to know that she is no longer with us now.
I haven't yet looked at the actual report, just read some of the posts here. Am I too assume that noone has seen Mitch still? From Pronker's post, that's what I thought. Fluffernutter as well I suppose. And dear Sophie, I am praying for her. How about Lola, still marked as Last Seen or has she been determined dead?
I couldn't help but think of Zaph when watching the marathon yesterday. How he would go back to the Whiskers and is still DM of the Aztecs, he is always watching out for his family. But now dear RD is gone, I laughed as he chased off her suiters! Gotta love him!
Thankx for correcting my foolish mistake, zerocharismo. I don't know why I thought Jogu and Maladoy were Mozart's sons. Poor Tosca, I wonder if we will ever see her or her 2 boys again. I must'nt give up hope. There is always a chance, no matter the odds. I'm also still hoping to see Spud again to.
Pronker, thankyou for clearing up the confusion on the different names, litters, etc. I totally agree, why do MeerManor execs have to change the names of so many of our meerkats?? And why do it over and over again??? G-wiz, enough all ready!!!
Thanks for the info Zettak and Animallover, well there is hope for Fluffernutter then if he is just out of the research area! Oh Lola, I hope she turns up, I loved her. And Mitch too, hope hes just rovin still. As for Zaph, I guess you are right, it's good he stays put.
I too wish that he stays put. Everytime the new LH comes up and Zaph is still with us (usually in the form of no news) I cheer. He is soooooooooo beloved!!!!!!! that kat. And he's found a great home with the Aztec, his family really. They need him, and he needs them. So stay there sweetie
Not having my own computer, I don't get many chances to visit this forum, and definately not as much often as I'd like to. I am taking full use of my chance to do so now and am finally catching up a tad. So very much to learn. I do wish that Meerkat Manor would stop changing names of the meerkats! I don't want some other meerkat to play Sophie!!!!!