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Description
Taken at the Cleveland MetroParks Zoo - Cleveland, OH

This is one of the two meerkats at the Cleveland Zoo hanging out in the new African Elephant Crossing exhibit--this particular viewing area is nice because there are tunnels you can go into that have large panes of glass and then there's a big glass wall you can look through or over to see these cuties.

Meerkats are often found in groups called mobs, clans or gangs and contains about 20 meerkats on average. They are very social animals, with non-breeding females lactating to help feed the the young and all meerkats work as a group to protect the young from threats. They also have a language of vocalizations, with calls and barks having specific meanings to communicate to others in the mob.

Evidently people have looked at these animals and wanted to domesticate them--unfortunately they are pretty smelly as an animal (ferret-like), and they can be very aggressive as well as scent-mark not only their territory, but also their owners. Like all wild animals, they are not suited for domestication and should never be acquired as a pet.

Description
Taken at the Cleveland MetroParks Zoo - Cleveland, OH

This is one of the two meerkats at the Cleveland Zoo hanging out in the new African Elephant Crossing exhibit--this particular viewing area is nice because there are tunnels you can go into that have large panes of glass and then there's a big glass wall you can look through or over to see these cuties.

Meerkats are often found in groups called mobs, clans or gangs and contains about 20 meerkats on average. They are very social animals, with non-breeding females lactating to help feed the the young and all meerkats work as a group to protect the young from threats. They also have a language of vocalizations, with calls and barks having specific meanings to communicate to others in the mob.

Evidently people have looked at these animals and wanted to domesticate them--unfortunately they are pretty smelly as an animal (ferret-like), and they can be very aggressive as well as scent-mark not only their territory, but also their owners. Like all wild animals, they are not suited for domestication and should never be acquired as a pet.