Meet CMZ’s Two New Meerkats

There are two new meerkats in Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s mob. Mojita and Kamikazi are new arrivals to the mountain. If you’ve visited the Zoo during Encounter Africa’s Work-in-Progress preview, you probably saw them in the new west meerkat exhibit. Some guests have asked if they moved over from the African Rift Valley mob, but they actually traveled much further to be at the Zoo.

They were born at the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee. Mojita, the female, is short, a little round in the belly and has pink on her nose. Kamikazi, the male, is tall and slender. Both are three years old. They made their journey to Colorado in early March.

“They are more observant than our current mob members,” said Roxanna Breitigan, Animal Care Manager.  “They are very cautious and are frequently looking up for predators or at children who are watching them. They are very aware of what’s going on at all times.”

Animal keepers have also noticed that the new arrivals don’t dig as much as current Zoo meerkats, though they think that might change once they get comfortable with their habitat and with the other meerkats they’ve recently been paired with.

“Now that we have Mojita and Kamizazi, we have enough meerkats for three mobs,” said Breitigan .

The three new mobs were paired up last week. Mojita is with Scotty (CMZ meerkat born in 2005). They live in the Encounter Africa west meerkat exhibit.

“The hope is that they will be a breeding pair,” Breitigan said. “Scotty has the most experience with meerkat babies, as he was an older brother to a mob. We think he will be a good dad.”

Kamikazi was paired with Kalala (CMZ meerkat born in 2004). They will be a companion pair. The two could breed, but Kalala’s age makes it unlikely. They live in the original African Rift Valley meerkat exhibit. The remaining three male meerkats, Bomani, Akantse and Sekitimi, are living in the new Encounter Africa east meerkat habitat.

Next time you’re at the Zoo, stop and watch all three mobs, and see if you can identify who’s who and who’s new!

To read more stories from The Waterhole, or to keep up with the latest news, events, and behind the scenes happenings at the Zoo, sign up to receive e-newsletters: http://www.cmzoo.org/aboutZoo/pressBox/waterhole.asp