I hope that folks that live further down the East Coast will consider joining this chapter of the East Coast Meerkat Lovers Society. They will probably visit meerkats in Tampa and other areas in Florida that have meerkats. After all, MEERKATS RULE!!

Just another reminder that the East Coast Meerkat Lovers Society will meet at the National Zoo in Washington DC this Saturday, December 2, 2006. We will meet outside of the Small Mammal House at the statue of the anteater. We will meet at 8:15. Hope to see as many of you there as possible. And you can do some Christmas shopping at the Zoo store while you are at it. MEERKATS RULE!!!

Forgot to say that friends and family are welcome. The more the merrier!! I also will have an update on the Staten Island Zoo meerkats.

It sounds as though the weather in DC on Saturday will be anything but Kalahari like. If it is as cold and windy as they are suggesting please meet right inside the door of the small mammal house and not at the anteater statue. See you there! MEERKATS RULE!!

I hope that you all have a good time and that the weather is not too inclement. I wish I lived close enough to go but I am going to try to get to the Fort Worth zoo this weekend if the weather here improves by then.

Take a lot of pictures for those of us that are not East coasties.

The East Coast Meerkat Society is a hardy bunch but, if we need to, we will meet right inside the entrance to the Small Mammal House. While I do not have a radio collar, I will be bringing the dominant male. In lieu of a radio collar (Cambridge hasn't caught up with my mob yet) I shall be sporting a red jacket.
MEERKATS RULE!!

Tomorrow is the big day, our first Society meeting at the National Zoo. 8:15 outside the Small Mammal House. See you there!MEERKATS RULE!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cheryljeang,

enjoy and take a lot of pictures

See everyone tomorrow!

cherljeang,
at some point,will there be a meeting in all the states?because im already getting impatient waiting for info to come for a meeting where i live.

Wish everyone could be with us....

I posted the better photos from today's visit to The National Zoo on my site. It's at http://meekrat.spaces.live.com/

Hi, I just came online and saw your screen name. They are just awesome...all of them! The pup is enchanting; mom carrying the little one is even better than I could imagine.

I liked pffffffft! Did I spell that right?

Maybe you should begin a new thread so all of our meerkatters on the chat can view them. It will help them through their Meerkat Manor withdrawal symptoms.

Great to have met you and your alpha male. Maybe we will see each other again sometime peering at the meerkats!

I've been reading your group info and hope to join you guys one day. I live in New Jersey and would like to go to NYC meeting in February. I love your pictures from Saturday's meeting at the National Zoo, thanks for posting them for all of us to enjoy.

The East Coast Meerkat Lovers Society, which had really existed only as an idea in cyberspace, became a reality when a number of AP posters joined up for a few hours of meerkat gazing at the National Zoo on Saturday, December 2nd.
Meekrat, who is a really talented photographer, took great pictures, which she has posted for all to view. She brought her alpha male and he kept my alpha male company. Meekrat also told us all about their trip to Fellow Earthlings and, of course, we were all pea green with envy.
Ccatz shared great information from a friend who actually went to the Kalahari Meerkat Project as an Earth Watch volunteer. She also brought three adorable little plush meerkats called the Naughty Kids. I brought along the NPR "Youssarian" puppet.
We were really lucky to see the new pup who had only exited the burrow for the first time the day before! Unfortunately, the other pup did not survive. Still, this one was so precious and so small that it was wonderful to see. Because food is plentiful in the zoo we saw other females share with the feeding, just like on the MM show.
The teen-agers spent most of the time engaged in play fighting, again, just like on the show.
The keeper gave out a worm treat while we were there and that was fun to watch.There is also a tree in the exhibit and we saw some of the youngsters playing in it.
The female that had a pup in September was evicted and they have not been successful in reintroducing her ( some really violent tail biting and beatings to the point that the keepers feared for her life) so she and her pup will be heading to another zoo. And NOT the one in Minnesota!!
The Society also picked up a few new members while we were there and hopefully they will join us in New York in February over the Presidents' Day week end.
I would like to thank everyone who joined us. And to all of you out there who want to start your own chapters, please do so. We are all joined by our common love of meerkats. Just pick a place and time, post it, and see who shows up. You won't be sorry!MEERKATS RULE!!

Wonderful information from Queenflower regarding "Operation Meerkat" and the happenings at the Staten Island Zoo. Read the posting on the NPR Meerkat fan interview strand for all the latest news and plese tell all of your friends about this!!

Thank you Thank you Cheryljeang for your wonderful informative update on your trip to the Zoo in Washington D.C. I really appreicate your taking the time to write a detailed letter to all of us human Meerkats that could not be there with all of you. * But we were there in spirit* Today I called my local Zoo here in West Palm Beach Florida. We do not have any meerkats here! What a shame because the weather here in South Florida would be perfect for them! I have put in a call to the person in charge of receiving new animals. He is s upposed to return my call tomorrow. I am going to try and see if perhaps our Zoo would be willing to adopt those meerkats in need of a good home. I will keep all of you posted. I am also going to contact Busch Wildlife Sanctuary here in Jupiter to see if perhaps they can do the same. The peole who worked in the gift shop new about the show MM and were asking me if some of the Meerkat merchandise that they ordered would sell or not! And so far I am a committee of one as I guess that noone on these boards is from Florida. No worries! I will mob on!!! The lone meerkat Candace

Please, everyone, no matter which coast you live on or anyplace in between, read the thread started today by Queenflower on this forum. It has important information on how you can do more than just look at the meerkats, you can contribute to a change in their living standards at the Staten Island Zoo. What a gift to yourself or a family member and what a benefit to the Staten Island Meerkats!! Maybe when the Society meets again in NYC we will see the fruits of our efforts!MEERKATS RULE!!!

Yes My Check was put in the mail today!!! We CAN and WILL make a difference!!!!!

Mark your calendars for the next scheduled meeting of the East Coast Meerkat Lovers Society on February 18th in NYC. Hopefully we can fit in visits to both area zoos that have meerkats-Prospect Park and Staten Island. Depending on the time, we might only get to do one. Hopefully there will have been major improvements to the Staten Island enclosure as a result of everyone's generosity. MEERKATS RULE!!!

Eat your Wheaties that morning! (uh oh I think I'm showing my age - do they even still make Wheaties - and does anyone really remember Bruce Jenner)

I hope to get us to see both zoo exhibits. As long as we get an early start it will be no problem to see both. I'm sure everyone would love to see how the Staten Island Kats are doing and the Brooklyn meerkats are so cute - you don't want to miss them either. Plus the keepers are really nice and will surely do some enrichment stuff for the meerkats while we are there.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: queenflower,

Oh, I remember Bruce Jenner all right because I was actually at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, the year that Bruce won the Decathalon. Now anyone who doubted my age will know that I am as old as I say. While I didn't see him win the event I did go to others, including the Opening Ceremony. Lordy! That seems like a life time ago! Now MEERKATS RULE!!!

By the way, if you go to Google Video you can watch the entire 22 minute documentary "Meerkats United" right on your computer and there are no commercials!

I too remember Bruce Jenner A handsome guy Please know that I will be with all of you in spirit for the N.Y.C trip. it is really bothering me that maybe our boys at the Staten Island Zoo will not be having a good Christmas, therefore I am putting more money into the mail for them tomorrow. As soon as the New Year arrives more $$$ will be sent A.S.A.P! PLEASE keep me posted on anything to do with our boys. Thanks.

Wow - all 3 of us eat our Wheaties in the spirit of Bruce Jenner! LOL!
Thanks for your generosity crunningwild4. You're awesome! I'm going to bring some mealworms and toys to our 3 Staten Island boys for Christmas. I'm meeting with the zoo director tomorrow.
Keep your ears open as Cheryl and her husband are constructing a beautiful meerkat calendar which will be sold on mastermeerkat's site (did you get on yet) and on ebay and the proceeds will go to the Staten Island meerkats. Cheryl will be formally posting when she is done with the calendar probably by the end of the week.

Hi Queenflower No, YOU are the one who is AWESOME! Please let me know how tomorrow goes... I am so worried for these little three fuzzies that I am having trouble sleeping at night. Please if you know what figure we need to make their lives as plush as the lives of the Brooklyn and San Deigo Kats....Please email me! I am prepared to donate alot of money after the New Year.... I would like to see these guys well taken care of FOREVER! And yes count me in for the Meerkat Calendar!! I want one now!!! Don't I sound like a demanding child And no I haven't looked into resolving the other website challenge, but I will try tomorrow. Ive been laid up with the 24 hour bug which has developed into the flu! Oh joy! But my check will be walked out to the mailbox tomorrow anyway!

Hi Again Queenflower.. I forgot to say please give a warm Hello to our boys from me tomorrow. You are so lucky to be able to see them! I will be thinking of you from time to time tomorrow........ Many Thanks!

I'll blow them a kiss from you!
Take care of yourself Candace and get well soon! Make sure you stay warm in your little burrow and drink lots of fluids
Talk to you soon.

dont forget guys and gals that the calendar taht is being made can be viewed right now at:

http://mastermeerkat.forumcircle.com/

go to the staten island topic and its under the take action now thread! sign up today and become a member of those who love meerkats in general!

I have a teaser up with the cover and month of June. It is on the other forum.Hopefully the finished product will be available this week for the good of the meerkats.

Gosh I will be online waiting for the word!

Bruce Jenner WAS a handsome guy, but I heard he had cosmetic surgery...such is life, but I go off topic...

That calendar is a class act..

I remember Bruce Jenner as well, I never like Wheaties that much though. I am more an Oatmeal person

Those pictures and that calendar are going to be fantastic!!

With a little luck the calendar for our "Three Amigos" should be ready for sale this week. I will post information on mastermeerkat's forum and ebay.

It is awesome....thx

Cheryl, have you see the lovely Meery Christmas picture that meekrat posted with her other pictures, it would make a perfect December shot.

Meekrat has also added more Eastcoast Meerkat Lovers Society meerkat pix from our Sat visit.

Thanks, meekrat, as usual they are awesome....Mother's Love is precious.

Thanks Mary for your kind words I hope that your day went well and that our "Three Amigoes" are doing well. And also yes I cannot wait to see the calendar advertized! Many Thanks to you Cheryl for all of your hard work A thought came to mind today.... I have alot of brand, spanking new Kathy VanZeeland purses that I bought but never used... they still have the price tags attached to them. Would you consider selling these on Ebay to help out our boys? I would mail them all in a big box to wherever you say..... Let me know Cheryl if this is a possibility....

cw4... 2dear2me's e-mail is posted by mod_kelly...you know where.

Thanks.... I will try and drop her a line. We all need to come together to help out the Staten Island Meers... 2dear is so passionate about saving meerkats so this would be a perfect way to channel all that pent up frustration. We need all the strong personalities now and always.

Exactly my thoughts..whether you agree with her or not, she is a powerful force of nature!

Hi Everyone! I want to thank everyone for their offers of pictures for the "Three Amigos" calendar. The calendar should be completed on Tuesday and I will post details on Mastermeerkat's forum. As far as other fund raising offers, well, let's do one thing at a time and see how that goes. The next meeting of the Society will be February 18th. MEERKATS RULE!!!

Ccatz

Perhaps you could ask if there has been any information on the inspection by the SA Humane Sociey.

I am sure there are many on the chat here and the meerkat forum who are interested in the findings. Curiosity kills the Kats

Yes I will ask her about that but in a very delicate non threatening way. The last thing i want to do is to scare her off.

I don't think it will scare her off, but re-enforce her resolve to work with the Three Amigos at Staten Island.

If she doesn't already maybe she could post on mastermeerkat.forumcircle.com

I vaguely remember another forum she mentioned, but forgot the address.

Calendar almost done. Will be available later this week to help get stuff for the
Three Amigos on Staten Island. Check back often. MEERKATS RULE!!!

Is there a way that a sponsorship of the the Three Amigos could be set up with monthly donations for them. I belong to Best Friends an Animal Sanctuary and I am a "Guardian Angel" . The contribution for the animal I support is tax deductable. Or do we just wing it on a monthly basis if we want?

Pancakeluvr,
I believe that the adoption fee covers one year. I will ask Queenflower to ask the director but that is how it works at most zoos. The calendars and anything else that we come up with would be one time (at least I think) efforts for the enclosure. MEERKATS RULE!!!

I was looking for something beyond the adoption and the calendar, I guess animal sanctuaries are different. I give a set monthly donation and can add for my animal as I see fit....extra snackies or Christmas stocking stuff!

Hi pancakeluvr. I think there might be a misunderstanding here about this meerkat adoption. Originally, the meerkats at the Staten Island Zoo weren't even listed as one of the animals you could adopt (don't ask me why). In order to raise money for the new enclosure for the meerkats we decided to do it via the adopt and animal section of the zoo to avoid any confusion, ie, so all of our money went to the meerkats and not elsewhere. That is why everyone has to write on their check "For the meerkat enclosure".
Anyway all money being sent in for the meerkats is being gathered towards the figure for the enclosure. I can't list the figure here (I was already warned by mod_kelly) but we are no where near where we have to be. So right now we are focusing our efforts on that. When the enclosure is done, you can regularly send in as much as you want for the meerkats but you have to tell them exactly what you want it used for. The people there are readily accessible (it's a small zoo) and you can contact them easily by phone.