Meerkat Madness: Lincoln Park Zoo’s newest mob of meerkats is positively adorable

Lincoln Park Zoo has welcomed three new female meerkats called Clover, Violet, and Dahlia, who will now be on display in the zoo’s Regenstein African Journey habitat. The three juveniles are approximately 1.5 years old and form their own group, which is known as a mob. 

According to a press release by the Lincoln Park Zoo, the meerkats were born at the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin before being brought to Chicago. The Meerkats Species Survival Plan, a collaborative population management effort among institutions within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, recommended the meerkats move from their original litter. 

Lincoln Park Zoo Curator Cassy Kutilek commented on the dominant and observant nature of this matriarchal species, saying, “Meerkats’ social nature and cooperation with one another is a great lesson that all of us can learn from. Clover, Dahlia, and Violet are no exception; one of them is always on alert, keeping an eye on everything going on around their habitat. It’s been really rewarding to see their personalities come out as they’ve acclimated to their new home.”

The zoo goes on to explain how every meerkat mob always consists of one who is on “sentinel duty,” meaning its only job is to simply look out for predators and warn the rest of the mob of threats. This job is essential for meerkats as they average 10-14 inches long and only weigh up to 2.2 pounds, explains the press release. 

Zoo officials welcome visitors to see the meerkats in action, saying that guests can practice spotting the meerkat on sentinel duty, which will be standing on its hind legs as the other two forage for food. 

Visit the Lincoln Park Zoo website to learn more about this new meerkat mob.