With the return of the rains, the Kalahari desert is in bloom and life is fairly easy now. It is almost easy to forget that the planet is in peril and for the meerkats and their many neighbors, this can lead to longer and harsher droughts. For now, however, barely a trace of barren sand can be found amongst a sea of green sourgrass. It is everywhere and is good food for large herbivores, but for meerkats, it is a major nuisance and not just because they struggle to see over the tops of the stalks. The sap from the plants can irritate the eyes, causing infection. The Isikara are currently at a burrow that is surrounded by the stuff, like a tiny island floating in a sea of green. This is no place to raise a family and Trixie is eager to find a new home now because the flea and tick situation is also rather annoying.
With no reason to stick around any longer than necessary, Trixie rounds her group up and the Isikara head out into the great unknown. For the adults, the grass is just annoying, for a small meerkat like Papyrus it can pose a great threat. Within the grass, enemies can lurk. He would be wise to stick close to his family and his older brother Chip seems to be keeping an eye on him as well as the sky. Trixie pushes the family on, reprimanding any who tries to stop for a quick snack break. The pace only comes to a halt when they come upon a small clearing, this will do nicely and Trixie allows her family to feed. Papyrus is doing good with finding most of his food, though he will gladly take handouts from any adult who is feeling generous. He needs to be independent soon because Trixie may soon be planning her third litter of the year. King Tut definitely is not letting her out of his sight, much to her annoyance.
When she is ready to carry on, the rest of the group fall in...except for Papyrus who is trying to tackle an ant nest. The group has already moved off by the time he admits defeat and the youngster has no idea what to do or where to turn. He cries out for his family and then sets off in a random direction, hoping it will lead him home. If not...his life could be in serious jeopardy.
As the group moves farther away from the old burrow, Chip notices that Papyrus is missing. With sister Tiffany at his side, the pair set off the way they’d come. Trixie notices, but she is unable to do anything to help. The group won’t be safe until they find a new burrow and a sad fact is that one out of five pups doesn’t make it to adulthood. Papyrus’s death would be tragic, but the memory of it would fade fast.
Chip and Tiffany are equally aware of this grim fact of life, but they are determined to find their brother and nothing can stop them when they are like this. Perhaps it is pure luck that the direction Papyrus had chosen to take was the right way all along. He soon is found and his siblings escort him back to the rest of the group who are taking their midday rest. With all her family back, Trixie can relax. But King Tut has other things in mind. His grooming is quite nice, but when he tries to push his luck...the boss isn't having any of it right now. Oh well, he will just have to try again later.
It is late in the afternoon when the Isikara are finally rewarded for the day's struggles. There is a nice burrow in their sights and everyone is looking forward to settling into their new digs. But as the meerkats get closer, something isn't right. There is a smell that should not be there and the group quickly becomes concerned and agitated. King Tut lays down some scent-markers, thinking that might help things but no, somebody is going to have to go in for a closer inspection.
That special somebody...is Ruby who enters the burrow down one of the back entrances.
She is slowly making her way through the tunnels when an alarm is sounded up above. Tootie has spotted trouble and the Isikara beat a hasty retreat. But they don't go far, because one of their own is still inside the burrow which is now clearly not fit for meerkat habitation...not when a mother jackal and her pups have gotten there first.
Ruby pokes her head out, but quickly ducks down once she has realized what the problem is. She is now trapped and her options are limited. Jackals are crafty predators that can be avoided, but the mother jackal is too close, even more, when she lays down directly in front of Ruby’s tunnel. The poor meerkat can only sit and wait, hoping that she will be able to rejoin her family soon.
The Isikara linger as long as they dare, but Trixie can see how low the sun is and has to get them somewhere for the night. The family retreat to a nearby bolt hole, it is unknown if anyone will sleep well tonight.
The next morning and there is a somber mood at the Isikara's temporary shelter. Trixie and the rest of the group are up, but they don't seem keen on setting out to find a better home. For a long time, the meerkats just sit there, keeping watch and soaking up the sun's rays. A figure crawls out of the bolt hole. It is Ruby, somehow she was able to rejoin her family during the night but at a terrible price. She is badly injured and clearly is in pain. The group can do nothing for her, except just being there at her side. Of all the meerkats present, Trixie is the one who seems the most concerned with Ruby’s plight. She grooms her daughter lightly, then rests her head on Ruby’s back. The bond between meerkat mothers and their offspring is complicated, but there is little doubt that some love is in the gesture. As the hours' tick by, Ruby grows weaker and weaker and it is clear that this is one fight that she will not be able to survive. Finally Ruby retreats into the bolt hole that she had just left and never resurfaces. The group lingers for an hour or two, then they are forced to leave. Trixie must find them a new burrow and also they need to feed.
It is a bitter blow for the Isikara, but life must go on.
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