Meerkatミーアキャット

Suricata suricattaLC— Least Concern

The meerkat is a small, highly social mongoose native to the arid grasslands of southern Africa, living in cooperative groups where only the dominant pair typically breeds. Famous for its upright, sun-facing sentinel posture, it forages by day for insects and other small prey while other group members stand guard against predators. It is common and classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Meerkat (reference photo)
Photo: Basile Morin / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Carnivora / Herpestidae Source
Size
Body length 24–35 cm
Weight
Males 626–797 g, females 620–969 g
Lifespan
Wild: 5–15 years / captive: record of 20.6 years
Diet
Insectivore Insectivorous, feeding mainly on beetles and moth and butterfly larvae; also eats amphibians, small birds, reptiles, and plants
Activity
Diurnal, with activity peaks in early morning and evening
Distribution
Found in southwestern Botswana, western and southern Namibia, and northern and western South Africa, with a marginal range into southwestern Angola. Source
Sources
ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

  • Only the dominant male and female in a group typically breed, while subordinate members act as helpers, babysitting and even nursing the pups. Source
  • Meerkats often stand upright facing the sun, propped on their tails — a posture that combines sentinel duty with thermoregulation. Source
  • Their burrow systems have two to three levels of tunnels that maintain a comfortable microclimate away from the extreme surface heat. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 21

Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

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Ishikawa DoubutsuenIshikawaAbout 60 minutes from the Kanazawa-Morimoto Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, about 40 minutes from the Kanazawa-Nishi Interchange, and about 20 minutes from the Komatsu Interchange.

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Tokushima ZooTokushima

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Izu Shaboten ZooShizuokaOpened in 1959

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Utsunomiya DoubutsuenTochigiAbout 5 minutes from the Utsunomiya IC on the Tohoku Expressway; free parking for 1,000 cars.

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Yokohama Shiritsu Yokohama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1999

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Okazakishihigashi Kouen DoubutsuenAichiAbout 1 km toward Toyota from the Okazaki IC on the Tomei Expressway.

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Kyoto City ZooKyotoOpened in 1903

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Kiryuugaoka DoubutsuenGunmaIf driving, set your car navigation to "Kiryugaoka Amusement Park" (Kiryugaoka Yuenchi) rather than "Kiryugaoka Zoo" to reach the parking lot (searching by the zoo name may give an incorrect route).

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Noichi Zoological Park of Kochi PrefectureKochiA 20-minute walk or 13-minute rental-bicycle ride from Noichi Station on the Tosa Kuroshio Railway Gomen-Nahari Line.

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Saitamakenkodomodoubutsu Shizen KouenSaitamaOpened in 1980

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Sapporoshimaruyama DoubutsuenHokkaidoOpened in 1951

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Hirakawa ZooKagoshimaAbout a 20-minute walk from Goino Station on the JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line, or take a bus bound for Taniyama / Dobutsuen from Fukuhira Nokyo-mae to the last stop.

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Chiba Zoological ParkChibaOpened in 1985

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Ueno ZooTokyoOpened in 1882

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TOBU ZOOSaitamaFrom Tobu-Dobutsu-Koen Station (west exit), about 10 minutes on foot (600 m) or about 5 minutes by bus.

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Iida Shiritsu DoubutsuenNaganoAddress: 33 Ogimachi, Iida, Nagano.

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Himeji Shiritsu DoubutsuenHyogoOpened in 1951

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Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

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Fuji Safari ParkShizuokaOpened in 1980

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Toyamashifamiri ParkToyamaOpened in 1984

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Former facilities

North Safari SapporoHokkaidoOpened in 2005

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Closed: 2025-09-30 Official Site

Latest news

6

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Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Least Concern (LC)

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

Why do meerkats stand up on their hind legs?
Standing upright, propped on the tail, lets meerkats scan for predators as sentinels while also warming themselves in the sun. Source
Do all meerkats in a group have pups?
No. Typically only the dominant male and female breed, while other group members help raise the pups by babysitting, guarding, and even nursing. Source
What do meerkats eat?
They are mainly insectivorous, feeding heavily on beetles and moth larvae, and also eat small reptiles, amphibians, birds, and some plant matter. Source
How many operating facilities are registered here?
Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 21 Source

Books & gear

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org