Today I visited the mob and had the opportunity of asking one of the keepers during feeding time, if Möfzi had died. The answer was positive :-(
The first two weeks in February were bitter cold and as I had already written in January, Möfzi was very frail and had been suffering from health troubles. I do not know her exact day of death, but I will ask the main keeper in charge of the mob, when I see him.
I had been thinking about her often during this period of cold and snow.
Möfzi was ancient, between 13 and 14 years. I hope she had an easy death without any suffering and simply fell asleep and did not wake up again.
Another mystery to be solved is that Snoutie has been missing since about mid-January.
I do not know what happened to him, hopefully not another sad death, he was only a little more than 3 years old and always happy and healthy.
So this leave the mob down to 5 members: Flatears, Stubby Tail, Orlok, Caruso and Sayuri.
I still have to remove the pics from my camera, it looks like the two girls are fighting again.
Stubby Tail had some mysterious fluff in his fur, which look dirty and matted in this place, maybe a wound maybe just some wet dirt where the fluff got stuck.
The three males left will be 10 years old some time this summer.
I wonder what will happen to the mob, as non of the males is interessted in any of the females.
16/01/2012
No news is good news
A belated happy new year to you meerkat fans out there.
I am really sorry for not being able to post regularly, but my current life leaves very little space for this blog.
All of you will certainly be pleased to read that our dear, ancient Möfzi is still alive!
Me and a friend visited a couple of days ago and I also paid some visits during the last year. There is not much going on in the mob, still no new couple and I guess, nothing along that line is likely to happen unless new meerkats are introduced into the group.
Möfzi is now toothless. She is suffering from an ekzema on her back, which is treated with vitamin shots and she also receives additional vitamins with her daily food.
If it was not for her broken front paw, she would still be able to walk normally. Now she is rather pushing herself along and stopping every couple of steps, but she still manages to get into and out of the inside enclosure. Her mice will be cut for her, or she gets cat food instead.
When we arrived, she was inside the heated outdoor den looking out. She reminds me of those German housewives spending their days at the window sill, ellbows on a cushion, looking at the world. Minus pin curlers and apron dress ;-)
Despite all those physical troubles, she looks pretty much content and is unmolested by any other members of the group.
We talked to her keeper, who said that she should get monument, when she dies.
It is apparent that he loves this old, though lady, too.
Who would have thought that she makes another winter?
I am really sorry for not being able to post regularly, but my current life leaves very little space for this blog.
All of you will certainly be pleased to read that our dear, ancient Möfzi is still alive!
Me and a friend visited a couple of days ago and I also paid some visits during the last year. There is not much going on in the mob, still no new couple and I guess, nothing along that line is likely to happen unless new meerkats are introduced into the group.
Möfzi is now toothless. She is suffering from an ekzema on her back, which is treated with vitamin shots and she also receives additional vitamins with her daily food.
 |
| Möfzi with 13+ years |
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| Möfzi taking a peek outside |
Despite all those physical troubles, she looks pretty much content and is unmolested by any other members of the group.
We talked to her keeper, who said that she should get monument, when she dies.
It is apparent that he loves this old, though lady, too.
Who would have thought that she makes another winter?
10/04/2011
A new springtime
Dear meerkat-fans out there, I am sorry for not posting here for such a long time, but these last two years found me very busy...
Maybe I should give you a short update on the things that happened since the last post in September 2010.
The mob is still without a dominant couple but Möfzi, former DF is still alive, even though you would not say "kicking". Today one of the keepers told some people that she is 13 years now, which makes her a real meerkat Methuselah.
Möfzi went through a couple of crises these last months, the meanest thing was a huge abscess on her right hind leg which left her limping badly. The abscess was opened and cleaned and she was kept in a separate enclosure inside, but with sniffing contact to the other group members.
A friend and I were let into this enclosure by one of the keepers, and we had the chance to see her being fed and taken care of. We could see that the keeper was very touched by how tough and strong this old female still is. He told us that she was on the brink of death for about two days, struggling with the huge wound. On day three though, she got up and started eating again.
She is very weak, which is particularly due to not being able to chew properly. Once in a while they will keep her separate and feed her some additional stuff, she will also receive vitamin shots etc. As you will see in the pictures I´ll post further down, she looks shrunken.
Her right front paw, which was broken in winter 09 is giving her trouble, too. It is bent and looked slightly swollen. Möfzi is very slow now, but she will not miss any occasion snatching additional treats.
Unfortunately I did not bring egg or sth. just some dandelion, which is currently in full bloom and the which the kats really love.
One of the highlights I witnessed in the last months was the kats being given a whole dead rabbit to eat and play with. Unfortunately I did not bring my camera on this day. At first I wondered, why all the kats had so much blood on them, but looking into the inside enclosure I saw them going at the rabbit. On such occasions you can see that they are really mean predators, they love the blood and gore!
A lot has changed for the kats since their exhibt was started in 2000.
These last weeks the enclosure had a total makeover, with all the lookout hills being re-modelled, and two dead trees being put into the enclosure for the kats to climb onto. One of the real highlights though is that one of these newly made hills features a heated den! The kats will love this on windy and cold days!
In the beginning, in 2000 their enclosure was rather bleak and got bleaker within the next years, with the kats digging through every inch of ground, no new stuff being put into the enclosure etc. From 2000 until 2007/08 nothing much was done to brighten their lives.
With meerkats being very curious animals which get bored easily, this was a dreary situation. And of course they did not want to breed under these conditions. Möfzi had a couple of pregnancies which sadly resulted in misscarriages. One successful birth must have been around summer 2004, but the pups were attacked by the mob or she might even have killed them herself.
2004 was a bad year anyway, Stubby Tail had an abscess which was in need of treatment. He could not eat properly for several weeks, losing weight. It took ages until he was treated correctly. Since then he has been suffering from swellings on the right side of his nose, which will never go away completely. Today he had a swelling oozing pus from his right eye.
These nasal swellings can be found in most members of the group, the keepers think that they results from clogged sinuses and are not sure what the cause might be.
Today found all members well and relaxed even though there had been an event in the afternoon with thousands of people visiting in this fine and warm spring weather.
I will post a couple of pictures I made today.
The three youngsters Caruso, Sayuri and Snoutie.
Left: Orlok and Möfzi taking a nap
Middle: Snoutie and Möfzi
Right: Snoutie, Möfzi and Orlok
Close-ups of Möfzi, now aged 13.
In the right pic you can see her twisted right front paw.
You will also notice the long claws, as she will no longer use this paw for digging.
Left: Orlok sitting on one of the dead trees in the enclosure.
Middle: Snoutie on the newly made lookout featuring a heated den.
Right: Re-modelled hills, the large one on the right features the heated den.
Maybe I should give you a short update on the things that happened since the last post in September 2010.
The mob is still without a dominant couple but Möfzi, former DF is still alive, even though you would not say "kicking". Today one of the keepers told some people that she is 13 years now, which makes her a real meerkat Methuselah.
Möfzi went through a couple of crises these last months, the meanest thing was a huge abscess on her right hind leg which left her limping badly. The abscess was opened and cleaned and she was kept in a separate enclosure inside, but with sniffing contact to the other group members.
A friend and I were let into this enclosure by one of the keepers, and we had the chance to see her being fed and taken care of. We could see that the keeper was very touched by how tough and strong this old female still is. He told us that she was on the brink of death for about two days, struggling with the huge wound. On day three though, she got up and started eating again.
She is very weak, which is particularly due to not being able to chew properly. Once in a while they will keep her separate and feed her some additional stuff, she will also receive vitamin shots etc. As you will see in the pictures I´ll post further down, she looks shrunken.
Her right front paw, which was broken in winter 09 is giving her trouble, too. It is bent and looked slightly swollen. Möfzi is very slow now, but she will not miss any occasion snatching additional treats.
Unfortunately I did not bring egg or sth. just some dandelion, which is currently in full bloom and the which the kats really love.
One of the highlights I witnessed in the last months was the kats being given a whole dead rabbit to eat and play with. Unfortunately I did not bring my camera on this day. At first I wondered, why all the kats had so much blood on them, but looking into the inside enclosure I saw them going at the rabbit. On such occasions you can see that they are really mean predators, they love the blood and gore!
A lot has changed for the kats since their exhibt was started in 2000.
These last weeks the enclosure had a total makeover, with all the lookout hills being re-modelled, and two dead trees being put into the enclosure for the kats to climb onto. One of the real highlights though is that one of these newly made hills features a heated den! The kats will love this on windy and cold days!
In the beginning, in 2000 their enclosure was rather bleak and got bleaker within the next years, with the kats digging through every inch of ground, no new stuff being put into the enclosure etc. From 2000 until 2007/08 nothing much was done to brighten their lives.
With meerkats being very curious animals which get bored easily, this was a dreary situation. And of course they did not want to breed under these conditions. Möfzi had a couple of pregnancies which sadly resulted in misscarriages. One successful birth must have been around summer 2004, but the pups were attacked by the mob or she might even have killed them herself.
2004 was a bad year anyway, Stubby Tail had an abscess which was in need of treatment. He could not eat properly for several weeks, losing weight. It took ages until he was treated correctly. Since then he has been suffering from swellings on the right side of his nose, which will never go away completely. Today he had a swelling oozing pus from his right eye.
These nasal swellings can be found in most members of the group, the keepers think that they results from clogged sinuses and are not sure what the cause might be.
Today found all members well and relaxed even though there had been an event in the afternoon with thousands of people visiting in this fine and warm spring weather.
I will post a couple of pictures I made today.
The three youngsters Caruso, Sayuri and Snoutie.
Left: Orlok and Möfzi taking a nap
Middle: Snoutie and Möfzi
Right: Snoutie, Möfzi and Orlok
Close-ups of Möfzi, now aged 13.
In the right pic you can see her twisted right front paw.
You will also notice the long claws, as she will no longer use this paw for digging.
Left: Orlok sitting on one of the dead trees in the enclosure.
Middle: Snoutie on the newly made lookout featuring a heated den.
Right: Re-modelled hills, the large one on the right features the heated den.
21/09/2010
Good bad news - Möfzi is still alive :-)
I just received an email from a meerkat friend of ours.
She wrote that Möfzi is still alive, but had to be separated from the group. Currently she is in the inside enclosure and has to be fed separately, as the other members of the mob will snatch her food away.
Our friend contacted one of the keepers and asked, if it is possible to visit her. I hope I can provide more news shortly.
She wrote that Möfzi is still alive, but had to be separated from the group. Currently she is in the inside enclosure and has to be fed separately, as the other members of the mob will snatch her food away.
Our friend contacted one of the keepers and asked, if it is possible to visit her. I hope I can provide more news shortly.
20/09/2010
R.I.P. Möfzi
This is another sad day for the mob.
Yesterday I visited the kats and did not see Möfzi. On my last visit a couple of weeks ago, she was still alive, but very weak. Möfzi could only take some steps at a time and had to sit down or rather crouch on the ground.
Christian visited the kats about 2 weeks ago, she was still alive then, but also very weak. He reported that she used her nose for pushing herself over the logs and stones. Her offspring groomed her a lot and made those squeaky "I-love-you"-sounds.
I had also noticed during my last visits that her offspring spent more time around her and she looked very well groomed. Getting up on her hind legs often proved too much, though and I also had the impression that she had difficulties chewing her food. She had not lost her appetite or interest in her surroundings, though.
With Möfzi gone it looks like the two females, Sayuri and Caruso are fighting for dominance again. I noticed some aggressive behaviour going on between these two and Sayuri has another huge bite wound on her lower right jaw, just like last summer.
As none of the males is interested, there is no new dominant couple. In the wild this situation would surely have attracted the odd roving male, but in captivity it would make sense to introduce another male to the group.
As some of you may be aware, introducing another animal into an existing meerkat mob is very difficult, sometimes even impossible. Meerkats are very territorial and very social animals.
A stranger to the group will often be mobed, bitten and sometimes even killed. In capitivity limited escape is an added difficulty, as the "stranger" has no means of escaping vicious attacks like he could in the wild.
This is one of the last pictures take from Möfzi by Christian on August, 21st.
R.I.P. Möfzi, we will miss you dearly!
left: Snoutie, right: Möfzi
Yesterday I visited the kats and did not see Möfzi. On my last visit a couple of weeks ago, she was still alive, but very weak. Möfzi could only take some steps at a time and had to sit down or rather crouch on the ground.
Christian visited the kats about 2 weeks ago, she was still alive then, but also very weak. He reported that she used her nose for pushing herself over the logs and stones. Her offspring groomed her a lot and made those squeaky "I-love-you"-sounds.
I had also noticed during my last visits that her offspring spent more time around her and she looked very well groomed. Getting up on her hind legs often proved too much, though and I also had the impression that she had difficulties chewing her food. She had not lost her appetite or interest in her surroundings, though.
With Möfzi gone it looks like the two females, Sayuri and Caruso are fighting for dominance again. I noticed some aggressive behaviour going on between these two and Sayuri has another huge bite wound on her lower right jaw, just like last summer.
As none of the males is interested, there is no new dominant couple. In the wild this situation would surely have attracted the odd roving male, but in captivity it would make sense to introduce another male to the group.
As some of you may be aware, introducing another animal into an existing meerkat mob is very difficult, sometimes even impossible. Meerkats are very territorial and very social animals.
A stranger to the group will often be mobed, bitten and sometimes even killed. In capitivity limited escape is an added difficulty, as the "stranger" has no means of escaping vicious attacks like he could in the wild.
This is one of the last pictures take from Möfzi by Christian on August, 21st.
R.I.P. Möfzi, we will miss you dearly!
left: Snoutie, right: Möfzi
05/06/2010
Summertime and the livin' is easy
Today I spent some hours watching the kats.
There is nothing really new to report, no new dominant couple yet and I am afraid that there will be none, as long as no new adult male or males will be introduced.
What becomes clear is that Sayuri is more a loner than Snoutie and Caruso, who can often be seen playing together or grooming each other. Sayuri is often with Möfzi or on her own. And she likes doing her own things in her own way.
All three of them did not grow as tall and huge as Möfzi in her better days, but remain more on the small side like their dad, Jolly Roger who was a small an rather delicate meerkat. But speaking of weight, I bet that Sayuri is the heaviest kat of the three.
As it was veery hot today I was wearing open shoes. Snoutie was obviously very attracted to my toes and scratching and pawing at them constantly as soon as my feet came into reach. Meerkat claws are not sharp like cat claws, but being pawed and clawed by a meerkat is not that nice either. In particular if the clawing is insistant ;-)
When I arrived, Möfzi was already napping in the sun. She is getting really old and stiff now and I also think that she goes hungry a lot of the time, as she has difficulties chewing stuff. I brought some cut up tomatoes and made sure that she received most of them.
The youngsters were playing a lot, chasing each other or hipslamming and pressing against each other. I captured some particularly nice scenes between Sayuri and Snoutie, but unfortunately the glass pane was very dirty.
One particularly funny scene remains uncaptured, though. During this interaction Snouties nose was pressed up against pane and with his mouth half open he looked simply ridiculous.
Currently I am really considering to buy a video cam, as some of the interaction is much more fun to watch on a video than on a pic.
Here comes the press gang, left Snoutie, right Sayuri.
There is nothing really new to report, no new dominant couple yet and I am afraid that there will be none, as long as no new adult male or males will be introduced.
What becomes clear is that Sayuri is more a loner than Snoutie and Caruso, who can often be seen playing together or grooming each other. Sayuri is often with Möfzi or on her own. And she likes doing her own things in her own way.
All three of them did not grow as tall and huge as Möfzi in her better days, but remain more on the small side like their dad, Jolly Roger who was a small an rather delicate meerkat. But speaking of weight, I bet that Sayuri is the heaviest kat of the three.
As it was veery hot today I was wearing open shoes. Snoutie was obviously very attracted to my toes and scratching and pawing at them constantly as soon as my feet came into reach. Meerkat claws are not sharp like cat claws, but being pawed and clawed by a meerkat is not that nice either. In particular if the clawing is insistant ;-)
When I arrived, Möfzi was already napping in the sun. She is getting really old and stiff now and I also think that she goes hungry a lot of the time, as she has difficulties chewing stuff. I brought some cut up tomatoes and made sure that she received most of them.
The youngsters were playing a lot, chasing each other or hipslamming and pressing against each other. I captured some particularly nice scenes between Sayuri and Snoutie, but unfortunately the glass pane was very dirty.
One particularly funny scene remains uncaptured, though. During this interaction Snouties nose was pressed up against pane and with his mouth half open he looked simply ridiculous.
Currently I am really considering to buy a video cam, as some of the interaction is much more fun to watch on a video than on a pic.
Here comes the press gang, left Snoutie, right Sayuri.
28/04/2010
Dandelion Season is back
Yesterday in the late afternoon I visited the kats. There was not much going on, though. After a long and sunny day the kats were rather idle, mostly sunning themselves or sleeping.
Sayuri and Flat Ears enjoying a warm spring day.
The question of who will become the next dominant couple is still unanswered. Neither Sayuri nor Caruso seem to excite any interest in the males.
We discussed this and came to the conclusion that it would need a new male in the group.
Christian`s opinion is that the incest repression (I`m not sure about this expression...) is not genetical, but rather social. This meaning that the males are not interested in the females, because of their close social bonds, taking care of them as pups and guarding them while they were growing up etc.
Some dead logs and cut-off boughs were added to the enclosure, as long as it is still bleak from winter. The dead logs and roots are favourites with the kats, they like scratching and examining the bark, playing with and sitting on the logs.
Everybody looked healthy so far.
Möfzi is a bit stiff, but she will defend her food and even tried to jump for the dandelion, whereas the former champions Orlok and Flat Ears did not bother to jump. Flat Ears seemed rather shy, but these last months we have not been visiting as regularly as we used to.
But Sayuri did jump! She landed on her back with an audible "THUMP" and gave me the evil eye ;-)
Stubby Tail looked rather unkempt in his winter fur. It looked like the strange relationship between him and Orlok has been discontinued.
Yesterday evening lacked a bit of the mob feeling, with everybody doing things on their own.
Lateron Möfzi lay down for a nap and after some time first Caruso and then Snoutie came to her. Snoutie made loud squeaky-calls and strated grooming Möfzi, who remaind impassive. After some time he started gnawing her tail tip, like he used to do as a pup. But even this did not result in any reaction. After some time he lost interest and went away, with Möfzi dozing happily on her own.
Flat Ears also went to sleep by himself on one of the big stones, which must have been warm from the sun. He was asleep most of the time during my visit. At first I did not see him, but then I discovered him on the far side of the lookout hills, stretched out flat like some meerkat rug.
With the fine weather continuing during the week, I will hopefully find time for another visit soon.
Here come some pics I took yesterday.
Food´s not, what it used to be... Waiter! I would like to file a complaint!
Left to right: Flat Ears, Möfzi and Sayuri, Sayuri
And here is the latest video posted by Christian on youtube, as I cannot embed this video for whatever reasons, I will just post the link.
Sayuri and Flat Ears enjoying a warm spring day.
The question of who will become the next dominant couple is still unanswered. Neither Sayuri nor Caruso seem to excite any interest in the males.
We discussed this and came to the conclusion that it would need a new male in the group.
Christian`s opinion is that the incest repression (I`m not sure about this expression...) is not genetical, but rather social. This meaning that the males are not interested in the females, because of their close social bonds, taking care of them as pups and guarding them while they were growing up etc.
Some dead logs and cut-off boughs were added to the enclosure, as long as it is still bleak from winter. The dead logs and roots are favourites with the kats, they like scratching and examining the bark, playing with and sitting on the logs.
Everybody looked healthy so far.
Möfzi is a bit stiff, but she will defend her food and even tried to jump for the dandelion, whereas the former champions Orlok and Flat Ears did not bother to jump. Flat Ears seemed rather shy, but these last months we have not been visiting as regularly as we used to.
But Sayuri did jump! She landed on her back with an audible "THUMP" and gave me the evil eye ;-)
Stubby Tail looked rather unkempt in his winter fur. It looked like the strange relationship between him and Orlok has been discontinued.
Yesterday evening lacked a bit of the mob feeling, with everybody doing things on their own.
Lateron Möfzi lay down for a nap and after some time first Caruso and then Snoutie came to her. Snoutie made loud squeaky-calls and strated grooming Möfzi, who remaind impassive. After some time he started gnawing her tail tip, like he used to do as a pup. But even this did not result in any reaction. After some time he lost interest and went away, with Möfzi dozing happily on her own.
Flat Ears also went to sleep by himself on one of the big stones, which must have been warm from the sun. He was asleep most of the time during my visit. At first I did not see him, but then I discovered him on the far side of the lookout hills, stretched out flat like some meerkat rug.
With the fine weather continuing during the week, I will hopefully find time for another visit soon.
Here come some pics I took yesterday.
Food´s not, what it used to be... Waiter! I would like to file a complaint!
Left to right: Flat Ears, Möfzi and Sayuri, Sayuri
And here is the latest video posted by Christian on youtube, as I cannot embed this video for whatever reasons, I will just post the link.
10/01/2010
Snow Kats
After a long break the mob is back again ;-)
These last days brought tons of snow, even down here in the city. This is a rare event, as winters in Freiburg are mostly mild with lots of rain and the odd snowflake.
We walked out to visit the kats, as the minor roads are full of snow and ice and it is not nice to bike.
When we arrived at the enclosure, it was late afternoon and the kats were napping or rolling under the big heat lamp. Caruso was on the big lookout hill doing guard duty. As there were only few visitors and it was comparatively quiet, you could hear the distinct squeaky sounds she made.
The three youngsters have grown, but they are still smaller than the adult kats. All three have developed the distinct "ridge" on their heads, lacking in pups or subadults.
We wonder, if they will stay on the small side, as their father, Jolly Roger, was a rather small and delicate kat. Maybe they will still grow a little bit.
All kats looked healthy so far. Möfzi is still alive and her general condition is much better than in August. Her fur looked good, she lost the unkempt patches and she is no longer skinny. Her movements are a bit stiff, but Möfzi is really old now, at least 10 years.
As the snow inside the enclosure had not been removed, there were only some small paths the kats had trodden out in the snow. Most of the enclosure is covered in about 15 cm of powdery snow untouched by any paws.
Möfzi and Sayuri however were undeterred by this and came up to gather their treats. There were some extremely cute moments with Sayuri falling over and rolling in the snow. She looks so funny in her winter fur with her flat, stubby tail sticking out.
Möfzi stayed feeding on the egg treat until she was shivering with cold. This is the moment, you would like to pick her up and stuff her into your jacket ;-)
Here are two particularly cute pics of Sayuri, the little snow princess.
Hey, did YOU throw that stuff on me???
And here is a video taken today by Christian:
These last days brought tons of snow, even down here in the city. This is a rare event, as winters in Freiburg are mostly mild with lots of rain and the odd snowflake.
We walked out to visit the kats, as the minor roads are full of snow and ice and it is not nice to bike.
When we arrived at the enclosure, it was late afternoon and the kats were napping or rolling under the big heat lamp. Caruso was on the big lookout hill doing guard duty. As there were only few visitors and it was comparatively quiet, you could hear the distinct squeaky sounds she made.
The three youngsters have grown, but they are still smaller than the adult kats. All three have developed the distinct "ridge" on their heads, lacking in pups or subadults.
We wonder, if they will stay on the small side, as their father, Jolly Roger, was a rather small and delicate kat. Maybe they will still grow a little bit.
All kats looked healthy so far. Möfzi is still alive and her general condition is much better than in August. Her fur looked good, she lost the unkempt patches and she is no longer skinny. Her movements are a bit stiff, but Möfzi is really old now, at least 10 years.
As the snow inside the enclosure had not been removed, there were only some small paths the kats had trodden out in the snow. Most of the enclosure is covered in about 15 cm of powdery snow untouched by any paws.
Möfzi and Sayuri however were undeterred by this and came up to gather their treats. There were some extremely cute moments with Sayuri falling over and rolling in the snow. She looks so funny in her winter fur with her flat, stubby tail sticking out.
Möfzi stayed feeding on the egg treat until she was shivering with cold. This is the moment, you would like to pick her up and stuff her into your jacket ;-)
Here are two particularly cute pics of Sayuri, the little snow princess.
Hey, did YOU throw that stuff on me???
And here is a video taken today by Christian:
19/09/2009
The Mob is settling down again
Today`s weather was pretty mixed, high humidity and smaller tunderstorms in the mountains.
When the sun came through in the early evening I took me and my bike outside.
When I arrived, Stubby Tail was on guard duty on the bigger lookout hill and Sayuri and Snoutie were competing for invisible mice on the former lookout hill, which is sort of molten down to a small heap.
Flat Ears was napping in the sun in the usual meerkat-style furball position, which means with his head between his legs. Would be very uncomfortable for a human, unless you`re a Yogi.
I had brought some extra small cherry tomatoes for which the meerkats are really crazy.
I threw one tomato in the general direction of Flat Ear, but he did not notice and slept on.
The second tomato caught Flat Ears on the back and he woke up to explore this interruption.
He wolfed down his tomato in two bites ;-)
Möfzi discovered the first tomato, which had roled into a crevice in the ground. She had not started on the tomato yet, when Snoutie joined her, trying to snatch it away.
Today I realized that the youngsters will sometimes still make begging calls, or if frustrated they will start barking. The begging calls will *sometimes* still work with Möfzi, but not today.
The turmoil starting in the crevice attracted Caruso first and then Sayuri also joined in. Everybody was pressing against everybody, with Möfzi on the bottom and the youngsters in a furry pile on top, kicking, chattering and trying to pry themselves between Möfzi and the tomato. I think Möfzi won.
This behaviour is what we call "Stopfbällchen" in German, actually I can`t think of a good translation for this word, maybe Christian will come up with something?
I was really angry that I forgot to bring my camera!
Everybody looks healthy so far.
Möfzi's fur is better, the unkempt patches are gone and she has gained weight. Her legs are pretty stiff, but she can still defend her food and will do a hipslam, if necessary.
The girls look OK, but I saw some new tooth marks above Caruso`s right eye, which had already healed, but with the fur not re-grown yet.
Sayuri looks pretty wild, the fur on the right side of her lower jaw and her neck is still short and must have been shorn off completely for medical treatment now showing the grey skin beneath.
In comparision to her siblings, she looks smaller.
The last thing that will distinguish an adult meerkat from a juvenile is usually the size of the kat's head.
A juvenile's head is smaller and the groove in the middle is less visible.
Caruso's and Snoutie's heads already look more like those of the adult kats, whereas Sayuri's is still smaller. But as we know from the past, she will catch up.
Maybe with all this fighting going on in the group, she spent too much energy for growth.
She has found a good way standing and looking up at the same time now.
As shown in previous posts, she will stand up "sailorfashion", legs wide apart.
In the meantime she can do this while looking up and will hold this position for a couple of seconds, until she will loose her balance and sometimes still whack her chin on the pavement.
Tonight she was a bit unsteady, which is often after a long day and sometimes also when she is growing.
Until now no new dominant couple has emerged, I think we will have to wait until next spring, before this matter will be setteled.
When the sun came through in the early evening I took me and my bike outside.
When I arrived, Stubby Tail was on guard duty on the bigger lookout hill and Sayuri and Snoutie were competing for invisible mice on the former lookout hill, which is sort of molten down to a small heap.
Flat Ears was napping in the sun in the usual meerkat-style furball position, which means with his head between his legs. Would be very uncomfortable for a human, unless you`re a Yogi.
I had brought some extra small cherry tomatoes for which the meerkats are really crazy.
I threw one tomato in the general direction of Flat Ear, but he did not notice and slept on.
The second tomato caught Flat Ears on the back and he woke up to explore this interruption.
He wolfed down his tomato in two bites ;-)
Möfzi discovered the first tomato, which had roled into a crevice in the ground. She had not started on the tomato yet, when Snoutie joined her, trying to snatch it away.
Today I realized that the youngsters will sometimes still make begging calls, or if frustrated they will start barking. The begging calls will *sometimes* still work with Möfzi, but not today.
The turmoil starting in the crevice attracted Caruso first and then Sayuri also joined in. Everybody was pressing against everybody, with Möfzi on the bottom and the youngsters in a furry pile on top, kicking, chattering and trying to pry themselves between Möfzi and the tomato. I think Möfzi won.
This behaviour is what we call "Stopfbällchen" in German, actually I can`t think of a good translation for this word, maybe Christian will come up with something?
I was really angry that I forgot to bring my camera!
Everybody looks healthy so far.
Möfzi's fur is better, the unkempt patches are gone and she has gained weight. Her legs are pretty stiff, but she can still defend her food and will do a hipslam, if necessary.
The girls look OK, but I saw some new tooth marks above Caruso`s right eye, which had already healed, but with the fur not re-grown yet.
Sayuri looks pretty wild, the fur on the right side of her lower jaw and her neck is still short and must have been shorn off completely for medical treatment now showing the grey skin beneath.
In comparision to her siblings, she looks smaller.
The last thing that will distinguish an adult meerkat from a juvenile is usually the size of the kat's head.
A juvenile's head is smaller and the groove in the middle is less visible.
Caruso's and Snoutie's heads already look more like those of the adult kats, whereas Sayuri's is still smaller. But as we know from the past, she will catch up.
Maybe with all this fighting going on in the group, she spent too much energy for growth.
She has found a good way standing and looking up at the same time now.
As shown in previous posts, she will stand up "sailorfashion", legs wide apart.
In the meantime she can do this while looking up and will hold this position for a couple of seconds, until she will loose her balance and sometimes still whack her chin on the pavement.
Tonight she was a bit unsteady, which is often after a long day and sometimes also when she is growing.
Until now no new dominant couple has emerged, I think we will have to wait until next spring, before this matter will be setteled.
27/08/2009
Meerkats in Love???
Things seem to have settled down a little bit in the mob.
The youngsters are mainly together with Orlok and Stubby Tail, while Flat Ears will mostly sit apart from the group performing guard duty.
Möfzi looked better, even though she still has this patch of matted fur sticking out from her side. She is not as skinny as at the beginning of August and is still able to move pretty fast, if she needs to.
What I watched yesterday was that Sayuri is no longer sidling up to Orlok, but will be apart doing her own things.
I watched a short but tender grooming session between Caruso and Orlok!
There was a lot of squeaking going on between the two of them, but I do not know, if both were squeaking, or only one of them.
Some moments later Stubby Tail interrupted the session with a display of jealousy!
He acted in a very aggressive way towards Orlok with chattering and chin-rubbing. He also attacked some of the plants, biting into them and shaking them...
So whatever the relationship between Orlok and Stubby Tail may be, now it looks like Orlok has found a new object of desire...
It is still too early to tell and I only had this short impression, but I will certainly be on the lookout for any further signs of "Meekat Love" going on in the mob.
JAWS!! featuring Sayuri
The youngsters are mainly together with Orlok and Stubby Tail, while Flat Ears will mostly sit apart from the group performing guard duty.
Möfzi looked better, even though she still has this patch of matted fur sticking out from her side. She is not as skinny as at the beginning of August and is still able to move pretty fast, if she needs to.
What I watched yesterday was that Sayuri is no longer sidling up to Orlok, but will be apart doing her own things.
I watched a short but tender grooming session between Caruso and Orlok!
There was a lot of squeaking going on between the two of them, but I do not know, if both were squeaking, or only one of them.
Some moments later Stubby Tail interrupted the session with a display of jealousy!
He acted in a very aggressive way towards Orlok with chattering and chin-rubbing. He also attacked some of the plants, biting into them and shaking them...
So whatever the relationship between Orlok and Stubby Tail may be, now it looks like Orlok has found a new object of desire...
It is still too early to tell and I only had this short impression, but I will certainly be on the lookout for any further signs of "Meekat Love" going on in the mob.
JAWS!! featuring Sayuri
12/08/2009
Things can only get better...
Today in the early evening I briefly visited the kats.
Things have improved regarding the bite wounds and swellings. Caruso`s eyes are almost back to normal, her left eye still looks a bit sore, her right eye is OK. The fur on her head is still a little patchy in some places, but it will re-grow.
Sayuri`s jaw looks better, the swelling has receded, but the right side of her face looks still a bit mangy.
Möfzi is weak, but she looked better with her fur groomed and it looked like she had put on a little weight.
With none of the males being interested in Sayuri yet, the question of the future dominant couple is still open.
Shortly before I left I watched a cute playfight between Sayuri and Snoutie with lots of little squeaky "I-love-you"-sounds being passed between them.
Here are some quick shots I took with my own new camera (yeah!).
Things have improved regarding the bite wounds and swellings. Caruso`s eyes are almost back to normal, her left eye still looks a bit sore, her right eye is OK. The fur on her head is still a little patchy in some places, but it will re-grow.
Sayuri`s jaw looks better, the swelling has receded, but the right side of her face looks still a bit mangy.
Möfzi is weak, but she looked better with her fur groomed and it looked like she had put on a little weight.
With none of the males being interested in Sayuri yet, the question of the future dominant couple is still open.
Shortly before I left I watched a cute playfight between Sayuri and Snoutie with lots of little squeaky "I-love-you"-sounds being passed between them.
Here are some quick shots I took with my own new camera (yeah!).
09/08/2009
The End of Innocence
As the two young females Caruso and Sayuri reached puberty, they started competing for dominance.
Or rather, Sayuri started competing for dominance!
We had alway suspected that she had it in her to take over the position of the future dominant female of the group.
Sayuri has a very headstrong and tenacious personality most certainly resulting from her difficult start into life.
Everything that came easy to her siblings, meant a tough fight for her: being nursed by Möfzi above ground meant that she often had to fight for hours on end to get out of the burrow, while her siblings could simply walk out.
We often watched her struggling to get out of the burrow and nearly making it to the top only to roll back down after another uncoordinated motion. After some rest she would try again and fail and try again and again and again... until she was either picked up by one of the adults or actually made it outside.
The first 3-4 weeks of her life probably set the path to forming her character.
When she was about 4-5 weeks old and the pups were starting to eat solid food, she received additional treatment by the Mundenhof crew.
This became a turning point in her life, as she became more independent from her mother`s milk and could eat on her own getting stronger and better coordinated by the day.
During feeding time she was often first and last on the tray set out for the kats, eating anything she could get, growing and getting stronger.
At about 6-7 months old she had almost grown as tall as her siblings.
We watched her climbing the lookout hills, the small hill first, then the big hill.
She managed to sit up without falling over.
She learned a way to stand up in a peculiar way with her legs wide apart enabling her to make use of her little stub tail. This makes her look like a sailor on deck of a ship in a storm ;-)
Once she is determined to do something which comes to her mind, she is like a bulldozer set on track, going strong, no matter what comes in her way.
About two months ago I watched one of the males (I don`t remember correctly if it was Orlok or Flat Ears) sniffing her.
Playfights between Sayuri and Caruso often ended with Caruso trotting off, even though she could have taken advantage, as Sayuri certainly has a weaker position due to her motion-coordination problems.
Their difference in character becomes obvious though.
Caruso - even though she is in a better physical condition - is lacking the will to fight or to take over a dominant position.
She will often take solace with her brother Snoutie, who also took care of her severe bite wounds probably inflicted by Sayuri.
One of the keepers reported that Sayuri will hog the food bowl and snarl at Caruso. They have to make sure that Caruso will get enough food.
Another sad thing is that Möfzi is obviously on her last legs.
She has become very skinny and is always hungry. Christian took some pictures of her in the late afternoon light, where she looks really touched by the hand of death.
The last time I visited some days ago, she looked better, there are ups and downs, but the path is clearly set towards her end. We both suspect that she might have cancer.
She is still interested in everything going on around her, but she will not engage in any fights or competitions for food as she is lacking the strength to do so.
We will often see her sitting by herself or resting in the sun. Sometimes her children will come to groom her or sit with her, but the other members of the group are acting mostly indifferent towards her.
Last time I visited, she gave me a playfull nip into my finger, as she had already done on several occasions before. She will still sit up, but standing up will often be to difficult for her and send her tottering. Sometimes her bad leg will slip under her, but her eyes are still full of life.
This is probably her last summer, but at least she had the opportunity of successfully raising a litter once in her life.
We will miss you, Möfzi!
Brace yourself for some really shocking pictures taken on August, 01 and August, 06.
Carusos eyes had both been infected and were suppurating, Sayuri had a swelling on her lower jaw. All wounds have been treated and both kats are on antibiotics.
Sayuri with swelling on lower right jaw, pics taken by Christian on August, 01.
Caruso with both eyes infected due to bite wounds, pics taken by Christian on August, 01.
Left: Snoutie licking Caruso`s eyes
Right: Snoutie and Caruso grooming
Left: Sayuri terrorizing Caruso
Right: Sayuri watching interaction between Caruso and Snoutie
Möfzi on a bad day, pics taken by Christian on August, 01.
Sayuri with swelling on lower jaws, pics taken by Doro on August, 06.
Left: Caruso, left eye is still infected, right eye is better, pics taken by Doro on August, 06.
Right: Möfzi (top) and Sayuri (bottom) grooming. How tall Sayuri has become!
Or rather, Sayuri started competing for dominance!
We had alway suspected that she had it in her to take over the position of the future dominant female of the group.
Sayuri has a very headstrong and tenacious personality most certainly resulting from her difficult start into life.
Everything that came easy to her siblings, meant a tough fight for her: being nursed by Möfzi above ground meant that she often had to fight for hours on end to get out of the burrow, while her siblings could simply walk out.
We often watched her struggling to get out of the burrow and nearly making it to the top only to roll back down after another uncoordinated motion. After some rest she would try again and fail and try again and again and again... until she was either picked up by one of the adults or actually made it outside.
The first 3-4 weeks of her life probably set the path to forming her character.
When she was about 4-5 weeks old and the pups were starting to eat solid food, she received additional treatment by the Mundenhof crew.
This became a turning point in her life, as she became more independent from her mother`s milk and could eat on her own getting stronger and better coordinated by the day.
During feeding time she was often first and last on the tray set out for the kats, eating anything she could get, growing and getting stronger.
At about 6-7 months old she had almost grown as tall as her siblings.
We watched her climbing the lookout hills, the small hill first, then the big hill.
She managed to sit up without falling over.
She learned a way to stand up in a peculiar way with her legs wide apart enabling her to make use of her little stub tail. This makes her look like a sailor on deck of a ship in a storm ;-)
Once she is determined to do something which comes to her mind, she is like a bulldozer set on track, going strong, no matter what comes in her way.
About two months ago I watched one of the males (I don`t remember correctly if it was Orlok or Flat Ears) sniffing her.
Playfights between Sayuri and Caruso often ended with Caruso trotting off, even though she could have taken advantage, as Sayuri certainly has a weaker position due to her motion-coordination problems.
Their difference in character becomes obvious though.
Caruso - even though she is in a better physical condition - is lacking the will to fight or to take over a dominant position.
She will often take solace with her brother Snoutie, who also took care of her severe bite wounds probably inflicted by Sayuri.
One of the keepers reported that Sayuri will hog the food bowl and snarl at Caruso. They have to make sure that Caruso will get enough food.
Another sad thing is that Möfzi is obviously on her last legs.
She has become very skinny and is always hungry. Christian took some pictures of her in the late afternoon light, where she looks really touched by the hand of death.
The last time I visited some days ago, she looked better, there are ups and downs, but the path is clearly set towards her end. We both suspect that she might have cancer.
She is still interested in everything going on around her, but she will not engage in any fights or competitions for food as she is lacking the strength to do so.
We will often see her sitting by herself or resting in the sun. Sometimes her children will come to groom her or sit with her, but the other members of the group are acting mostly indifferent towards her.
Last time I visited, she gave me a playfull nip into my finger, as she had already done on several occasions before. She will still sit up, but standing up will often be to difficult for her and send her tottering. Sometimes her bad leg will slip under her, but her eyes are still full of life.
This is probably her last summer, but at least she had the opportunity of successfully raising a litter once in her life.
We will miss you, Möfzi!
Brace yourself for some really shocking pictures taken on August, 01 and August, 06.
Carusos eyes had both been infected and were suppurating, Sayuri had a swelling on her lower jaw. All wounds have been treated and both kats are on antibiotics.
Sayuri with swelling on lower right jaw, pics taken by Christian on August, 01.
Left: Snoutie licking Caruso`s eyes
Right: Snoutie and Caruso grooming
Left: Sayuri terrorizing Caruso
Right: Sayuri watching interaction between Caruso and Snoutie
Möfzi on a bad day, pics taken by Christian on August, 01.
Sayuri with swelling on lower jaws, pics taken by Doro on August, 06.
Right: Möfzi (top) and Sayuri (bottom) grooming. How tall Sayuri has become!
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