Captive Animals

Welfare of Captive Meerkats

Meerkats have become popular in media and increasingly sought as exotic pets, despite welfare needs that make captivity deeply challenging for these highly social animals.

Key Facts

Meerkats live in cooperative groups of 20-30 individuals in the wild
They are native to the Kalahari and Namib deserts and require specific temperature ranges
Meerkat groups have complex social hierarchies and cooperative pup-rearing behavior
Pet meerkats are invariably separated from their social group, causing chronic stress
A viral UK advertising campaign significantly increased meerkat popularity and illegal import attempts

Welfare Considerations

Meerkats in captivity face a fundamental mismatch: they are obligate social animals whose behavioral repertoire is built around group life. Sentry behavior, cooperative foraging, and communal pup-rearing are all impossible in single- or paired-pet situations. Stress from social isolation leads to aggression toward owners, self-destructive behavior, and immune suppression. Even professionally run zoos struggle to meet meerkat welfare needs outside large managed colonies.

What You Can Do

Never keep meerkats as pets — they require large social groups and specialist care
Visit meerkats only in AZA-accredited facilities with established colonies
Support wildlife authorities cracking down on illegal meerkat import and trade
Report suspected meerkat trade or keeping to wildlife and border authorities