Meerkat Manor

by Timothy Hugh Clutton-Brock

Meerkat Manor, a television series now in its 3rd year (with 2 more seasons contracted) following the fortunes of a group of Meerkats has recently attracted sensational viewing figures. So much so that the BBC Natural History Unit that created Blue Planet and Planet Earth is producing a full-length feature film based on the hugely successful precedent of The March of the Penguins, backed by Harvey Weinstein's Weinstein Company. The series follows a group of named individuals and the viewer becomes closely involved in the life-or-death struggles, just like a soap opera, of this curiously attractive and anthropomorphic tribe. To tie in with the success of the television series and the publicity which will accrue from worldwide release of the film the originator of the Meerkat research project, Tim Clutton-Brock, has written an engaging and informative book about these animals and what his research tells us about their world, a world which appears to mirror our own but is in fact driven by the sometimes savage instincts of self-interest and survival.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biology, Animals, Science

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2007

About the author

Timothy Hugh Clutton-Brock

- educated at the University of Cambridge where he was awarded a PhD in 1972.

Reviews

[Emilija · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021 52 Book Challenge 37) An educational read.

This was a really enjoyable book. While it is billed as the life story of Flower, one of the dominant females of the Whiskers group of Kalahari Meerkats, it covers quite a lot of back story to the Whiskers Group and it also goes into depth about the reasons why meerkats do certain things and meerkat physiology, comparing it to other mammals in the Kalahari, most notably various breeds of mongoose and the naked mole rats. The last quarter of the book, which deals with Flower in the tv series Meerkat Manor felt very rushed. Whether that was because most people coming to the book will have watched the show, or because of rights, or whatever the reason is, it made the book finish on a little bit of a down, and I felt a little disappointed, especially considering how great the rest of the book was.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining and informative read, with lots of pictures...the Meerkat Manor TV show might be even more entertaining, but this is a clearly written, very readable text if you're looking for a good grasp on meerkats with less of the anthropomorphizing that the TV show inherently attaches to the animals.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book for eleven years and I have moved it six times. With that I decided it was high time I actually read it.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was well written by a biologist with a biologist’s perspective in mind. It was not a copycat of the TV series, instead the author/researcher went into the details of Flower’s life starting from her birth to her death. And he did it in a way that was interesting by hitting the high points of her life while including facts about meerkat behavior and social structure and then compared that social structure to other co-operative species. All of this kept me turning the pages. And the photography was also very well done.

The author also included what made him decide to study meerkats and included some of the tribulations of the study throughout the years.

[Caroline Hendry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2 This was very well written, very informative, and extremely real. Do not expect a cute story about Simba’s best friends.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Meerkat Manor: Flower of the Kalahari" has been one of the most enjoyable books that I have read in quite a while, with detailed information showcasing the life of Flower, The Dominant Female of the Whiskers and with extra information that temporarily weaves out of the story to describe why the meerkats act as they do and the similarities they have with other animals.
The detailed pictures of the Meerkats and of the Kalahari are also a very nice touch.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Animals; and if you happen to like this book then I would recommend that you should watch "Meerkat Manor" the TV Series.

[Killilea · Rating 5 out of 5]

meerkats could not help but get a 5 star and is written by the field expert! although the focus is on the life and times of "The Desert Rose," the text constantly weaves out of story-mode into sections of highly detailed naturalism and the rigors of film-making in such an environment - this will be a good/bad thing depending on your mood.

[Micah Issitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the only book about Meerkats available. For anyone interested in the formation of social networks, cooperative childrearing or the effect of predatory pressure, this book will be like porn for you. Nice pictures too.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great. I learned a lot about meerkats and also about behavior of other animals (including humans) as well. The book has great photos and does a great job explaining the life of Flower. I love meerkats!!

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is my soap. And it does have good science behind this study group.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an informative book. I have not seen the tv series and really thought twice about this book at first but it was really good!

[Lisa van Zyl-Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, a bit too text book ish, but very eye opening to what these fascinating little creatures get up to.