It is a somber mood at the Isikara burrow. Despite their best hopes, Rufio never showed up, and as the days passed the group lost hope that he ever would. At twelve years old, Rufio is an old meerkat and while this had not stopped him before, there is a chance that any wounds he got from the Rockstars proved to be fatal.
Trixie must now go on without him and the experience he had to give. It will be hard, but she has made it through the loss of one mate and if she is lucky, a new Mr. Right will be just around the corner. For now, however, Trixie must think of her current family and after everything is clean and tidy, she leads the group out.
It is a common behavior for animals to leave places where death has occurred and meerkats are no exceptions. Trixie wants a fresh start in a new burrow and none of the family will fault her for her decision. The pickings in the area around the den have started to become rather sparse, proof that it is time for the Isikara to move onto greener pastures.
Around midday and the Isikara are still on the move, but they have slowed their pace in order to do some foraging. With his father dead, Cosmo is filling in the role of the dominant male. Keeping watch and scent marking the territory. Trixie appreciates his help, but it just isn't the same. She might be in luck, for three handsome strangers are in the area. Unfortunately for her, however, it is her three younger sisters who score a date. Maryann, Molly, and Alyssa are very submissive upon their return. But there is a chance that at least one of them is pregnant and this could give them a boost of confidence. Trixie will be watching closely.
By the time evening draws near, the Isikara have found their new burrow. They are exhausted by the long journey and settle for a group huddle before going down for the night.
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The death of Rufio seems to be the start of the Isikara's trials. First is that Twinkle was found dead near a cactus, and it is believed that she had fallen and died from wounds gained. On top of the fact that three subordinate females were pregnant, there were three meerkats who tested positive for TB. In order to save the group, for this disease could wipe out entire families if left alone, Emily, Piper, and Silena were humanely euthanized. Poof had also left on a roving trip and hasn't been seen since. The Isikara has shrunk to just twenty-two and still, Trixie has not found a new partner. The group is not doing too badly really, but things can easily go from bad to worst.
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