February 2023

 For the first time ever, Trixie stands alone this morning. The rest of the group is close by, but it is clear that she is not a part of them and she does not appear to be particularly bothered. The story begins yesterday when her son returned home. Stein had not been alone, for all three of the mysterious females had followed him. Female meerkats seldom join other groups, especially ones that are well established. But these girls seemed to be bolder than most and marched right in uninvited. That was the first of many insults that Trixie would face in a single day. As they made themselves at home, Trixie gave them a dirty look but did not act. The Isikara went out to forage and found a place to sleep at midday. Once more Trixie did not act toward the intruders. Once the temperature dropped to a comfortable level, the group carried on their bug hunting and soon went home. Trixie was greeted by her pups and gave them a feed, then sat with the family. It was only then that things began to get serious. The three new family members were clearly a hit with the rest of the group, especially the males who were all unrelated. Trixie and the girls looked on in silence, but the arrival of the night put an end to things.

This morning, one of the new females had been first to emerge and the rest of the group soon followed. Except for Trixie who had decided to sleep in. The mood of the burrow is tense and even the pups seem subdued. When Trixie finally does make an appearance, the first wild meerkat approaches her and hip-slams her. Trixie is startled, but then the other two join and suddenly she is being attacked. The rest of the group looks on, uncomfortable by what is going on but nobody will dare get involved. As soon as she could, Trixie made a run for it and was chased off. 

The entire group is unsure of what to make of the situation, even more so because now the three victors turn on each other. Female dominance battles can last for months with no clear winner, it really comes down to how many submits a contender receives from others of the same gender. 

Trixie can only watch as everything she has worked for goes up in smoke, but she doesn't seem very phased by this turn of events. Instead, Trixie is merely sunning herself and soon sets off to forage. Alone she is vulnerable, but then the Isikara can be made out in the distance. They are also going to forage and it is clear that leadership is a mess. The Kalahari can be harsh to the weak and unfortunate, but it can also hold unexpected miracles. 

Today, one of those miracles is for Trixie. The Isikara are out foraging when a predator alarm is sounded. The group panics, as meerkats commonly do, and splits into two halves. Eight meerkats, including the three wild females, go in one direction and encounter a bolt hole that is already occupied by a puff adder. Their flight takes them further from the eleven other meerkats who were lucky to find shelter that did not host an equally dangerous enemy. Once the danger passes, the group emerges from under the bush and there is a familiar face. Trixie has used the threat to rejoin the group and she is quick to assert her dominance over her daughters. Kat, Tiffany, and Serena bow to their queen and the group take a moment to reaffirm the bond that keeps them together through thick and thin.

But now there is a problem.

The three wicked sisters are now out of her fur, but also missing is her partner along with the other unrelated males. Trixie now has no mate and she needs to produce another litter to assert her status as the dominant female. Once again the Kalahari decides to bestow upon her another blessing. A roving male has been spotted in the Isikara’s territory, and he is a big fan favorite. At thirteen years old, Pluto is an old boy now. But he is in great shape and does not seem to be feeling his age at all. His presence here means only one thing, Pluto is looking for love and a dominant female with no mate is fair game.

January 2023

 Three weeks after giving birth, Trixie's latest litter is ready to meet the family in the world outside of the burrow entrance. The group has done a good job in caring for them, and it does pay that two familiar faces can count themselves as part of the family fold. Tiffany and Serena are back, and both sisters are definitely keeping their heads low whenever the boss is around. 

Their slender figures are proof of what had happened after Trixie had kicked them out. The stress of the eviction had caused Tiffany to miscarry her litter, while Serena had given birth but the litter was quickly lost. Not only that but Noah and Enki had grown tired of them and returned to the Isikara after a roving adventure. 

The pair had followed the Isikara closely, though Trixie would not allow them near until she had given birth and the sisters would no longer be a threat to her pups. Once the first critical hours had passed, Trixie had welcomed them back with fairly open arms, and that had been that. 

The Isikara were back to being twelve-strong, and now with the five new pups who made their appearance one by one, the group now numbers seventeen. They are big enough to take on Jaco's Dune, but not until the pups are old enough to fight and not risk being killed for being the easier target. 

For now Beetle, Cool Breeze, Kopa, Inyibiba, and White Elephant will have their own adventures here at the burrow under the watchful eye of the babysitters. Today Stein and Kat are on babysitter duty and they might find five pups a bit challenging. 

With everything under control here, Trixie and the rest of the group set off. As it often does, time passes slowly for the babysitters. But the pups seem to be in high spirits and clearly enjoy their newfound freedom. When the five finally do tucker themselves out, Kat herds them belowground, then sits with her brother.

After a while, Kat approaches her brother and begins to groom him. It is not only a good way to keep fleas and ticks at bay, but also is good bonding between family members in a mob. Stein is ready to return the favor when something suddenly catches his eye. Kat is immediately alert and together they look off into the distance. Three figures are slowly approaching the borrow and at first glance, it might be roving males. Stein is ready for a fight, but it is not male meerkats who are making their way closer by the minute, but females. A trio of females who were probably evicted from their own group. There is nothing here for them except a burrow and a male who could be a potential mate, Stein seems unsure of what to do now, but Kat is already taking action, digging and scent marking the area around the burrow. The three meerkats pause, then wisely decide to retreat. But to the shock of Kat, her brother runs after them. 

Kat is not pleased and decides that maybe things will be easier if she keeps the pups down below. They could not possibly get into any trouble, right?

When the Isikara returns home, it is early in the evening and everyone is exhausted and yet satisfied. Trixie feeds her pups and gives each one a good groom, then settles back to relax before bed. Nobody seems to notice that Stein is still missing, but hopefully, he will be home by tomorrow morning. Night travel is not a good idea for a meerkat who can see even less well in the dark. With a single bark, Trixie leads her latest brood underground and the rest of the group follows as night falls upon the desert.