The change of the male dynamics in the Isikara was rather abrupt, but life quickly goes back to normal. This is good because Trixie has more pressing issues. Not one, not two, but five females (including herself) are now pregnant from Mathayus and his boy band. This baby boom could mean a huge increase in numbers for the Isikara. But things seldom go as one would expect. Meerkat mothers are driven by instinct and survival and they often do not stop to think of the future, only of the advance they could give their own offspring at this very moment. As the boss, Trixie's pups naturally have high priority over any other litter. But being the pups of the dominant female does not guarantee safety from rivals. So Trixie may very well have only one option on the table in order to ensure that her pups will live.
For now, however, the Isikara are out looking for food.
Meerkat territories are generally quite large in order to have access to the areas with the best foraging. They try to visit different places each day, thus allowing previously plundered sites to restock. Today Trixie has led the family to the edge of their land and, not surprisingly, everyone is wary. The border here is shared with the Wombles, a group that could be also considered the sister group of the Isikara, but there is no love lost between the two families. Mathayus is doing his new duties as a dominant male quite well, keeping a lookout with aid from three of his four brothers. Everyone else gets down to bug hunting.
The group's caution is well placed, for their neighbors are out and about on this day and they can be found not far from the border themselves. Having given her group an earlier start, dominant female Safira has led them into the shade for a well-deserved break. Having recently lost a litter to miscarriage, Safira has been trying to get enough food that will put her back in shape to try again. But now, however, she just wants to relax and even gets enticed into a game of playfighting with the youngsters. The Wombles are having it great and are unaware that one of their many rivals is a little too close for comfort.
The Isikara appear to have struck gold today, for the geckos are running and these lizards are much more satisfying than the normal beetles, scorpions, and millipedes. At three months old, Papyrus is more or less supplying his own meals now, though he is prone to making youthful mistakes. Lizard catching is a more advanced class, but Papyrus won't give up that easily and, eventually, gets lucky and catches a juicy gecko for himself. But he is about to receive another lesson. Despite the abundance of food around them, some meerkats would rather take the easier option of stealing from the weak. From birth, Tiffany and her sister Serena were closer than most and it is not uncommon for the pair to work together as means to an end. Having spotted Papyrus with his prize, the pair waste no time in putting their plan to work. Serena goes first and as Papyrus tries to defend his catch from the older and larger meerkat, Tiffany darts in and steals right it out from under his nose and is gone before the young meerkat knows what's hit him. Having played her part, Serena is obviously expecting her share but Tiffany has no plans for that. Regardless of how close they may be, it seems the bond between the sisters is being tested by pregnancy. Each female has to think of her own litter, though it is not uncommon for multiple females to give birth to a mixed litter of pups. When this happens, all pups get equal priority regardless of who their mother actually is. Serena has no plans to give up until she gets what is coming to her and eventually is able to steal the last half of the gecko which is quickly devoured before Tiffany can retaliate.
After an eventful morning, the Isikara is due for a well-deserved rest. Having spent the morning keeping away from each other, Tiffany and Serena appear to have made up and the pair are taking the time to groom each other. Trixie has her eye on them, for such friendships could easily prove treacherous. And perhaps she is blessed with some sixth sense, because of what is about to happen next. After fussing over each other for a bit, Tiffany and Serena decide they are ready for a snooze, but they feel that Alyssa and Tootie are hogging the best sleeping spots. Working once again as a team, the pair drives off one sister, then the other. Alyssa and Tootie think this is quite unfair, but one look at Trixie reveals that they won’t find any help there. Oh well, there is plenty of space.
When the Isikara finally stirs from their beauty sleep, it is back to bug hunting. Tiffany and Serena are back on the prowl and the pair sees Alyssa. Having decided to take her turn at sentry duty, Alyssa has unexpectedly found herself a bonanza. The perch she has chosen is close to a thorn bush and this is sporting some unusual decorations. A grasshopper here and there, a small lizard, and a few other delicacies that have been mercilessly skewered by some unknown beast. That could mean trouble, but the meerkats have nothing to fear. This is the work of a shrike, a small bird who hunts small animals and impales its catches on spines to be eaten later. Though now that she has found them, Alyssa would be foolish to turn up her nose on free food. The shrike can only look on as one by one, its hard work is gobbled up by somebody else. This is what Tiffany and Serena have been observing and the pair decide to strike. Their aim is to knock Alyssa out of the way, but unlike Papyrus she is more than capable of standing her ground. No matter how much they try to knock her out of the way, Alyssa refutes them and the pair finally gives up.
However, only an hour or two later, a new bit of drama is unfolding. It seems that Tiffany and Serena are still rather hot about the shrike and they decide to make a move that definitely will do them no favors...unless they were to change the dynamic of the group. Alyssa was just minding her own business and happened to bump Serena as she walked by, the other female had been preparing a meal that she was almost ready to eat. That brief moment of distraction and the gecko runs for its life. Furious, Serena lunges at Alyssa and the two meerkats are a rolling ball of dust, fur, and angry noises. Tiffany suddenly jumps into the fray and the dynamic duo turns the tussle into a full-blown eviction effort. Alyssa runs as soon as she can, with Tiffany and Serena hot on her heels. Trixie and Mathayus only look on, but quickly their attention is diverted by an alarm call coming from Tuya. The other mother-to-be has been on guard and she is the first to spy on the meerkats in the distance. The other meerkats are lining up for a fight. Forgetting the fact that two of her daughters had just done her job, Trixie rallies her troops.
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