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.
