Winter blew it course through the Kalahari and despite the conditions all the group manage to survive, with all four pups now old enough being five months, to fend for themselves.
During the winter, Saignee and Fritz often went off to rove, but both always returned, Fritz himself had been force to return early after a nasty wound from a unknown mob male.
With August here and the rains back, the Isikaras can now focus on raising the groups numbers once more. As they sunned on a warm morning while the four youngsters; Copycat, Firefly, Spice, and Bronze playfight, there are more surprises in store.
Both Sundance and Izzy are standing side by side, with their plump bellies showing that they are both expecting pups, Indus and the males had been nervious and despite everything a rover had mated with Izzy. Now Izzy was expecting her first litter.
Any normal group the Dominant female would either evict the expecting mother or kill the pups. But Sundance hadn't been a leader for long and with the Isikaras so small, she can't take any risks, so for now she tolerates Izzy.
September and October soon resulted in four new members, a male and a female in each litter. In Septemember, Sundance gave birth to her son Inky and daughter Envy, in the following month, Izzy gave birth to her first daughter Teacup and son Dudley. Both pups had been accepted and Indus must show some tough love when Spice and Bronze get a little to interested in the new arrivals.
But the foragers soon go out to forage with the four older pups leaving Fritz in charge of both litters.
While foraging, the four pups show their age. The oldest pup, Copycat gets the first luck and by herself catches a scorpion, and munches on the tasty prize and is not about to let anyone take it.
Spice and Bronze are wrestling, though they are young, they are vicious. Bronze had managed to dig up a gecko, but mean Spice, being lazy, wants it for herself.
While the two fight it out, clever little Firefly steals the gecko and is the second pup who gets fed. Leaving a sore Spice and Bronze angry at each other.
Sundance nor Indus has done nothing for it, the pups are merely learning lessions that will help them in later life.
Izzy also doesn't try to do anything, she is more focused with trying to find food for her pups, since the four pups with them aren't hers, she isn't going to worry about them now.
The Isikaras soon head home leaving Izzy to forage alone. Sundance's two pups who are small enough that they have to stay behind with Fritz, but seeing their mother both Inky and Envy go to greet them.
November soon presents both litters as aboveground. But Sundance's two pups are much older and they even have been out foraging, this means that Izzy's pups might have to learn the tough policies of meerkat life.
Sundance made lead calls and then nudged all four pups, she knew that they needed the food and Izzy's pups couldn't have any special treatment. Izzy seemed to understood and gathered her pups for their first lession.
While foraging, Izzy's little daughter Teacup is about to learn her place in the pecking order.
Fritz brings the little female a wiggly grub and just before Teacup can take it, her older cousin Envy charges in and attacks the little pup and few times before she claims the grub.
Teacup doesn't move, the fight was serious as it was if they had been older but it left the little pup shocked, confused, and shaken up, when Copycat tries to give her a beetle, Teacup is too afraid to accept it.
Sundance had observed all this but since they were pups she couldn't do anything, rough treatment now meant that Teacup would need to be more wiser and try to hold her own.
Izzy sees her poor pup and gives Teacup a loving cuddle, she too can't do anything about Envy's behavior since Envy is the dominant female's pup, but at least she can be motherly.
Inky and Envy meanwhile give the same treatment to Husk, but unlike Teacup, Husk tries to hold his own and even taunts them into a big playfighting session, Teacup can only watch under her mother's arms, she will need to be careful.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Chapter Four: The First Isikaras Litter
On a warm and sunny day in March, most of the Isikaras were up. Indus was on guard as usual while Saignee, Fritz, and Izzy worked on the burrow, but Sundance hadn't came up yet.
But soon the golden form of Sundance came up, she looked different and now they knew she was expecting pups, this litter would be the first born as Isikaras members, not meerkats from another group.
Izzy went over and groomed Sundance, rolling onto her back in submission, Sundance had truly claim the top spot as the matriarch of the Isikaras and therefore one of the few threats to the pups is if Izzy were to get pregnant, then she would most likely kill the pups, and for the little group that could be fatal.
But Sundance needs Izzy, since there are only two females in the group, Sundance will need Izzy to feed her pups and ensure that they survived.
But right now Sundance is more focused on tidying up the burrow with the other meerkats, this burrow would be the one she would give birth in and it needed to be perfect.
While the workers threw up dirt in their work while Indus made himself useful, taking a pause from sentry duty to scent mark his group's territory. As Dominant male, he finally claimed the duties that are reserve for males that are Dominant, now that there was no older male competition, he could relax.
But the two males must be watched constantly, but both Saignee and Fritz know that Izzy is not to be touched, only one female can breed, and with Indus in charge, no male wants to get on his bad side.
Sundance soon led the group out to another patch to forage, it rained the day before so now there were more choices which was a relief for Sundance. But this meant that the pups would be her first and last litter of this year.
But if all the pups survived then it would be worth it, the little Isikaras need the pups, but usually one in four pups will end up dying.
But Sundance didn't want to think of that right now, the group needed to eat and Sundance had to feed her unborn young.
On April 14, Sundance didn't surface with the others. Indus, Izzy, Saignee, and Fritz worked on the burrow but that was finished hours ago, and now all they could do was wait.
Indus decided that this was another chance to remind his two companions their place, Saignee and Fritz aren't daring to argue they roll on their backs and let Indus scent mark them and a hip-slam cuts it.
Soon the tiny sounds of pups come from below ground in the deep and coolness of the burrow. Indus is the first to investigate and to lay proud eyes on his first litter.
Though as a rover he most likely had more pups, if they weren't lost, killed, or abandoned, but he never laid eyes on those pups, but now as Dominant male he could view and be proud of his first litter.
In the main chamber, Sundance was laying curled on her side with four tiny nearly furless little pups at her belly. Indus sniffed each pup curious and soon indentified three females and one male, four pups would be a challege to raise, but the Isikaras' future depended on it.
Izzy came below ground and with Sundance, helped wash the new arrivals. Izzy felt relieve to be useful. Sundance knew that Izzy wouldn't harm her pups and Izzy is the only meerkat who can feed them.
So leaving Izzy tucked around her pups, a slimmer Sundance goes above ground. She shakes out the sand from her fur and paused to take in the sights and sound, with the new scent of pups on her fur, all three males are scent marking, they want to make sure nothing threatens these fragile bundles of life.
Saignee and Fritz must now help ensure that Sundance is protected and is able to get enough food to feed her babies, unfortunetly, Fritz ends up find this out the hard way when he loses his toad to the ravenous Sundance, but he'll have to put up with it.
At the end of the day the foragers return with bellies full and tends to her pups, three weeks later the four pups will come aboveground and the Isikaras and truly count on four new members.
But soon the golden form of Sundance came up, she looked different and now they knew she was expecting pups, this litter would be the first born as Isikaras members, not meerkats from another group.
Izzy went over and groomed Sundance, rolling onto her back in submission, Sundance had truly claim the top spot as the matriarch of the Isikaras and therefore one of the few threats to the pups is if Izzy were to get pregnant, then she would most likely kill the pups, and for the little group that could be fatal.
But Sundance needs Izzy, since there are only two females in the group, Sundance will need Izzy to feed her pups and ensure that they survived.
But right now Sundance is more focused on tidying up the burrow with the other meerkats, this burrow would be the one she would give birth in and it needed to be perfect.
While the workers threw up dirt in their work while Indus made himself useful, taking a pause from sentry duty to scent mark his group's territory. As Dominant male, he finally claimed the duties that are reserve for males that are Dominant, now that there was no older male competition, he could relax.
But the two males must be watched constantly, but both Saignee and Fritz know that Izzy is not to be touched, only one female can breed, and with Indus in charge, no male wants to get on his bad side.
Sundance soon led the group out to another patch to forage, it rained the day before so now there were more choices which was a relief for Sundance. But this meant that the pups would be her first and last litter of this year.
But if all the pups survived then it would be worth it, the little Isikaras need the pups, but usually one in four pups will end up dying.
But Sundance didn't want to think of that right now, the group needed to eat and Sundance had to feed her unborn young.
On April 14, Sundance didn't surface with the others. Indus, Izzy, Saignee, and Fritz worked on the burrow but that was finished hours ago, and now all they could do was wait.
Indus decided that this was another chance to remind his two companions their place, Saignee and Fritz aren't daring to argue they roll on their backs and let Indus scent mark them and a hip-slam cuts it.
Soon the tiny sounds of pups come from below ground in the deep and coolness of the burrow. Indus is the first to investigate and to lay proud eyes on his first litter.
Though as a rover he most likely had more pups, if they weren't lost, killed, or abandoned, but he never laid eyes on those pups, but now as Dominant male he could view and be proud of his first litter.
In the main chamber, Sundance was laying curled on her side with four tiny nearly furless little pups at her belly. Indus sniffed each pup curious and soon indentified three females and one male, four pups would be a challege to raise, but the Isikaras' future depended on it.
Izzy came below ground and with Sundance, helped wash the new arrivals. Izzy felt relieve to be useful. Sundance knew that Izzy wouldn't harm her pups and Izzy is the only meerkat who can feed them.
So leaving Izzy tucked around her pups, a slimmer Sundance goes above ground. She shakes out the sand from her fur and paused to take in the sights and sound, with the new scent of pups on her fur, all three males are scent marking, they want to make sure nothing threatens these fragile bundles of life.
Saignee and Fritz must now help ensure that Sundance is protected and is able to get enough food to feed her babies, unfortunetly, Fritz ends up find this out the hard way when he loses his toad to the ravenous Sundance, but he'll have to put up with it.
At the end of the day the foragers return with bellies full and tends to her pups, three weeks later the four pups will come aboveground and the Isikaras and truly count on four new members.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Chapter Three; A young Mob proves Itself and Sundance's Surprise
January changed to February and so far things had been going smoothly at the Isikaras. Sundance was proving to be another good leader, following in her legendary mother's footsteps.
Indus proved to be a very good dominant male. He was always on first watch and was keen-eyed. With Saignee and Fritz's help, they constantly scent marked the Isikaras land, wanting to make sure no other group touched this precious land.
But all meerkat groups had rivals and for the Isikaras, their position at the edge of the research area meant that they shared borders with Wild meerkats.
Wild Meerkats were merely meerkats who didn't have mob names and their dominant pair wasn't tracked with a collar, their lives pretty much went unnoticed unlike the research meerkats.
The Isikaras never encountered their neighbors, but would have to. Sundance would have to prove herself in battle, a wise meerkat always choses her battles carefully.
Their first battle was against their next door neighbors, a wild group lead by a scarred female, compare to the Isikaras five, this group had eight, but surprisily the Isikaras ended up surprising their rivals and doing a move where Sundance and Izzy attacked the dominant female, and Indus and Saignee the dominant male, the Isikaras won their first victory.
But there would be more battles.
But the Isikaras are now focus on other matters. With the midday heat, the little group had retired to the shade to rest off their morning feast. Izzy, Fritz, and Saignee were dozing that they never knew that Sundance and Indus had snuck away and then returned unnoticed. Not one of the three noticed and the group could just lay and relax.
But Sundance couldn't relax, while Indus took duty she sat and was thinking with her paws folded over her dark belly, soon she would need to make some hard choices that would decide the Isikaras future and she planned to.
The group had proved lucky, after their run in with their neighbors there had been no further trouble, except for the occasional predator alarm. Food was plentiful and the group was flourishing on the plentiful supply.
But Sundance was nervious, when she didn't have her head in the dirt digging for her lunch, she was often looking towards the borderline, their territory was small but big enough for a small group, in time they could focus on expanding it.
But Sundance wasn't thinking of expanding her range, she was focused on defending something else.
So in late February it came as a shock when Sundance lead the Isikaras at a full out wardance charge towards the border, just briefly past it, the neighbors were foraging on their patch, the attack was so quick and suddenly that the Isikaras pretty much had the upper hand and when the group fled, they won.
But Sundance didn't let them scent mark the winnings, if picking up her intentions, Indus went and hip-slammed the two males and then both dominant led the victorious group back to their own territory.
Enjoying the spoils with a feast, the other Isikaras were curious to why Sundance would lead a attack but not claim the land they had apparently won, then they soon knew, Sundance was thinking about the Isikaras in the form of her unborn pups.
Indus proved to be a very good dominant male. He was always on first watch and was keen-eyed. With Saignee and Fritz's help, they constantly scent marked the Isikaras land, wanting to make sure no other group touched this precious land.
But all meerkat groups had rivals and for the Isikaras, their position at the edge of the research area meant that they shared borders with Wild meerkats.
Wild Meerkats were merely meerkats who didn't have mob names and their dominant pair wasn't tracked with a collar, their lives pretty much went unnoticed unlike the research meerkats.
The Isikaras never encountered their neighbors, but would have to. Sundance would have to prove herself in battle, a wise meerkat always choses her battles carefully.
Their first battle was against their next door neighbors, a wild group lead by a scarred female, compare to the Isikaras five, this group had eight, but surprisily the Isikaras ended up surprising their rivals and doing a move where Sundance and Izzy attacked the dominant female, and Indus and Saignee the dominant male, the Isikaras won their first victory.
But there would be more battles.
But the Isikaras are now focus on other matters. With the midday heat, the little group had retired to the shade to rest off their morning feast. Izzy, Fritz, and Saignee were dozing that they never knew that Sundance and Indus had snuck away and then returned unnoticed. Not one of the three noticed and the group could just lay and relax.
But Sundance couldn't relax, while Indus took duty she sat and was thinking with her paws folded over her dark belly, soon she would need to make some hard choices that would decide the Isikaras future and she planned to.
The group had proved lucky, after their run in with their neighbors there had been no further trouble, except for the occasional predator alarm. Food was plentiful and the group was flourishing on the plentiful supply.
But Sundance was nervious, when she didn't have her head in the dirt digging for her lunch, she was often looking towards the borderline, their territory was small but big enough for a small group, in time they could focus on expanding it.
But Sundance wasn't thinking of expanding her range, she was focused on defending something else.
So in late February it came as a shock when Sundance lead the Isikaras at a full out wardance charge towards the border, just briefly past it, the neighbors were foraging on their patch, the attack was so quick and suddenly that the Isikaras pretty much had the upper hand and when the group fled, they won.
But Sundance didn't let them scent mark the winnings, if picking up her intentions, Indus went and hip-slammed the two males and then both dominant led the victorious group back to their own territory.
Enjoying the spoils with a feast, the other Isikaras were curious to why Sundance would lead a attack but not claim the land they had apparently won, then they soon knew, Sundance was thinking about the Isikaras in the form of her unborn pups.
Chapter 2: A Mob gains a Name
Like sand, November was swept into December and the five meerkats remained together. After a new tough moments they finally put their differences aside and began to work like a mob, well at least Izzy was tolerate of Saignee and Fritz.
Sundance and Indus got along well at first sight. And since her niece and older sister were not present, Sundance was now the oldest female and since Izzy wasn't the kind of meerkat who wanted to be dominant female, Sundance was pretty much unchalleged.
For Indus it was easy to. He was the oldest male and therefore the dominant male spot was his, but he used all of December to stamp that fact into Saignee and Fritz, both males often looked longily at the females, but with Sundance as Dominant female, Izzy would not be allow to have pups.
December soon turned to January and it was decided that the five meerkats had been together long enough to be called a mob and therefore, named. The researchers visited the meerkats and weighed each.
They maped out the boundies of the little group's land, then they did the most important parts. The mob was named the Isikaras, and as dominant female, Sundance was given a shiny black radio collar like her mother and others before her.
A new saga had unfolded for the Isikaras and now Sundance and Indus had to make sure their group survived, it would be hard, but yet it was a good time for a new mob to be formed, during the rainy season.
Sundance and Indus got along well at first sight. And since her niece and older sister were not present, Sundance was now the oldest female and since Izzy wasn't the kind of meerkat who wanted to be dominant female, Sundance was pretty much unchalleged.
For Indus it was easy to. He was the oldest male and therefore the dominant male spot was his, but he used all of December to stamp that fact into Saignee and Fritz, both males often looked longily at the females, but with Sundance as Dominant female, Izzy would not be allow to have pups.
December soon turned to January and it was decided that the five meerkats had been together long enough to be called a mob and therefore, named. The researchers visited the meerkats and weighed each.
They maped out the boundies of the little group's land, then they did the most important parts. The mob was named the Isikaras, and as dominant female, Sundance was given a shiny black radio collar like her mother and others before her.
A new saga had unfolded for the Isikaras and now Sundance and Indus had to make sure their group survived, it would be hard, but yet it was a good time for a new mob to be formed, during the rainy season.
Meerkats and Insider
The Isikaras aren't a real mob. They are based on meerkats who in real life were lost years before. Sundance is one such meerkat. In the famous show Meerkat Manor, Sundance played a pup called Blossom, she was a curious little pup with wandering paws like her brother who played Colombus. But her fate wasn't kind.
During a foraging trip Sundance wandered away from her family, the grass was tall for such a young pup. Her family were to busy relaxing to notice she was gone.
Sundance's life was cut short when a goshawk caught her.
But in the ways of the site in which Sundance never died, Mitch saved her and she grew into a young Desert Blossom...Anyway on the site of Meerkat Fanon (link below) meerkats that were lost, died, or other are given second chances, chances that they never got in Real life.
http://mkatsfanon.wikia.com/wiki/Meerkats_Fanon_Wiki
The info isn't real and isn't being used for profit gain, it is just to show us a life that many meerkats didn't get to have.
Of course many meerkats are still dead. Flower and Ella whiskers are two examples, Blondie Rascals etc. But other meerkats that were presumed to be dead such as Baddiel (Tosca) and Shakespeare, were brought back and given families of their own.
Mozart too is another meerkat who got a good future.
Many of the mobs aren't real, the Isikaras are one example, and countless others. Other groups were consider lost but brought back.
A example of these groups are the Legendary Avatars, the Moomins, Gattacas, Starsky, Young Ones, and countless others, as well as current mobs, so you can say that fact and fiction goes paw in paw.
Some meerkats are real as well, or made up names were given to nameless meerkats, for example, Rocket Dog's premature pup became a young female call Black Cat.
Back to the main story.
Sundance lived in the Whiskers ever since Mitch saved her, she grew up and was a babysitter then she was evicted with her little sister Izzy (Flower's last daughter, and the meerkat that played Lizzie as well) by Sophie who was dominant female of the splinter group that they helped form.
Sundance and Izzy sooned joined with three Rascal males and the Isikaras were formed in November 2009. On April 14, Sundance gave birth to her first litter of four pups, three females, and one male.
During a foraging trip Sundance wandered away from her family, the grass was tall for such a young pup. Her family were to busy relaxing to notice she was gone.
Sundance's life was cut short when a goshawk caught her.
But in the ways of the site in which Sundance never died, Mitch saved her and she grew into a young Desert Blossom...Anyway on the site of Meerkat Fanon (link below) meerkats that were lost, died, or other are given second chances, chances that they never got in Real life.
http://mkatsfanon.wikia.com/wiki/Meerkats_Fanon_Wiki
The info isn't real and isn't being used for profit gain, it is just to show us a life that many meerkats didn't get to have.
Of course many meerkats are still dead. Flower and Ella whiskers are two examples, Blondie Rascals etc. But other meerkats that were presumed to be dead such as Baddiel (Tosca) and Shakespeare, were brought back and given families of their own.
Mozart too is another meerkat who got a good future.
Many of the mobs aren't real, the Isikaras are one example, and countless others. Other groups were consider lost but brought back.
A example of these groups are the Legendary Avatars, the Moomins, Gattacas, Starsky, Young Ones, and countless others, as well as current mobs, so you can say that fact and fiction goes paw in paw.
Some meerkats are real as well, or made up names were given to nameless meerkats, for example, Rocket Dog's premature pup became a young female call Black Cat.
Back to the main story.
Sundance lived in the Whiskers ever since Mitch saved her, she grew up and was a babysitter then she was evicted with her little sister Izzy (Flower's last daughter, and the meerkat that played Lizzie as well) by Sophie who was dominant female of the splinter group that they helped form.
Sundance and Izzy sooned joined with three Rascal males and the Isikaras were formed in November 2009. On April 14, Sundance gave birth to her first litter of four pups, three females, and one male.
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