Marathon shows lives of 'kat pack

The researchers have their favorites in the bunch of Kalahari meerkats.
WASHINGTON POST
The children don't always do what they're supposed to. The adults sometimes fight with each other or with their neighbors. And there's always the threat of being swept off by a bird of prey or being bitten by a poisonous puff adder.
Life can be tough in the Kalahari Desert when you're a meerkat, weighing about 2 pounds and standing just a foot tall. But there also are moments of tenderness, bravery and surprise.
Animal Planet has scheduled a 13-hour marathon of all 26 episodes of "Meerkat Manor," which showcases the lives and antics of the 40-member Whiskers family, or "mob." The marathon begins at 7 a.m. Friday.
University of Cambridge researchers have studied mobs of the little mongooses for almost 13 years, said executive producer Mick Kaczorowski. The furry creatures featured in "Meerkat Manor" live in a four-square-mile fenced area; they're used to humans and cameras following their movements, but the production crew doesn't interfere with them.
The Cambridge researchers, along with Earthwatch volunteers, named the animals and gained insights into their personalities.
"These are incredibly affectionate and humanlike creatures, at least in terms of how they express themselves when getting along -- and maybe when not," said series narrator Sean Astin. "There are all these real-life dramas going on."
Picking favorites
Astin said his favorite meerkat is Carlos. "He's a roving male from the Lazuli group, and he's looking for affection with a Whiskers female," Astin said. "He's kind of a playboy. That's funny to me."
Kaczorowski cited Shakespeare as his favorite meerkat because "he represents the good we all want in humankind and comes to the rescue when you need him."
But Kaczorowski said he also admires Flower, the matriarch of the Whiskers group.
"She's got such an incredible job to take care of all the broods, keep everybody under control," he said. "She has to lead them into battle, rescue them, feed them. She's about 6 years old and has had 15 litters so far. She's pretty incredible and still going strong."
Naming animals can be a double-edged sword, Astin said: It's fun because it gives the creatures a human dimension, but there's a greater sense of sadness when they're injured or killed.
"It can be beautiful, affectionate and heartwarming, but occasionally brutal, violent and dangerous," Astin said of the show. "TV is a window to watch these animals in a little patch in the Kalahari."
Animal Planet is filming the third season of "Meerkat Manor," scheduled to premiere in summer 2007. The series regularly airs Fridays at 8 p.m.