Phlour: Is it true that the meerkats have a language, like humans and whales, etc.?
Mick Kaczorowski: Yes, meerkats do. As part of the scientific study ongoing in the Kalahari now, there's a German scientist who's been studying the vocalizations of the meerkats, and she has documented 30 different individual calls that meerkats make. They actually have calls to identify different prey from above and different prey on the ground. So, they communicate amongst themselves with regard to where danger is. And especially when they're moving in tall grasses, a dominant female will keep barking so all the pups and young adults know where to go if they're in tall grass. So, they're constantly listening for the calls.

ladypzazette: Have the researchers ever found out what happened to Shakespeare?
Mick Kaczorowski: No.

Chad: Is there any dangers for the camera crew in the filming of Meerkat Manor?
Mick Kaczorowski: Absolutely. Unfortunately, the same thing that happened to Flower could happen to an any of the crew. The snakes are there. The camera operators are basically in the sand of the Kalahari with their eye to the eye piece. A snake could come up behind them and if they didn't see it, they could step on it and get bitten. They're not going to get attacked by a jackal or birds of prey like the meerkats, but snakes are definitely dangerous, as are scorpions in their shoes while they're sleeping. And the heat of the Kalahari, which can get over 120 degrees. All this makes it a dangerous situation to film in.

Buttercup: What is it about these animals that we care so much do you think?
Mick Kaczorowski: I think it's the projection that we make when we look at them. They seem to have personality. It's the way their faces are shaped and the way their eyes look at us — look into the camera — that the audience connects with. And I think the way they stand on their back legs also allows us to have some kind of relationship with them that we sometimes don't have with other animals.

David: Mick, I have noticed when the researchers are around the meerkats, the meerkats seem to be more curious about the researchers. Are they all like that?
Mick Kaczorowski: The researchers have a much more integral relationship with the meerkats. The researchers weigh the meerkats three times a day. So, when the meerkats see the researchers and the scales come out, they know they're supposed to hop into the scale and their weight is taken. And they get a little bit of egg white, boiled egg, and a little taste of water. That happens three times a day in order to monitor the health of the meerkats, to see if they're getting enough food. So, they actually look forward to seeing the researchers.

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