I Spent Way Too Much Time With Meerkats: Here Are 32 Hilarious Moments I Captured

Once they were all out, the whole meerkat group paused for a group sunbath. They turned their bellies to the sun and closed their eyes halfway, looking like tiny tourists relaxing on invisible deckchairs. Before digging and foraging, they just enjoyed the warm Kalahari sun.

On cool mornings, meerkats love to cuddle together. I watched a dozen pups snuggle near the burrow entrance, turning into a moving pile of ears, tails, and paws. Every so often, a sleepy face would appear, as if to ask, "Is it breakfast yet?" It was almost too cute to handle!

This meerkat is making a quick getaway with its prize — a scorpion, no less! Talk about fast food.

These two meerkat pups are clearly plotting their next adventure (or just wondering where the snacks are).

Picture a clown car, but with meerkats instead of clowns. Adults, pups, shy faces, bold faces, they just kept coming, pouring out of their burrow like popcorn. I was laughing so much and taking photos that I lost count. It was pure morning chaos!

This little meerkat pup isn’t happy about being caught on camera, but that fierce expression only makes it cuter.

This meerkat's curiosity is piqued, probably by a tasty bug or a particularly interesting pebble.

This meerkat’s alert gaze captures the spirit of the Kalahari’s ever-watchful sentries.

These two meerkat sentries stand side by side, keeping a watchful eye over the Kalahari landscape.

Even with all their funny behavior, meerkats are very resilient. They depend on teamwork and always stay alert. One of my favorite photos is simple: a single meerkat standing still in the warm African sunrise, looking over the desert. There’s no chaos, just calm focus and quiet strength. It’s a reminder that behind the laughs, these animals are smart and hardworking, doing an important job.

This little one kicks up a cloud of red dust while its companion searches for breakfast.

These two are taking a well-deserved lazy lounge on the warm Kalahari sand, soaking up the sun.

Meerkats are digging machines! While photographing an extra-enthusiastic digger, I suddenly found myself in a mini sandstorm. Sand everywhere! By the time it found its prize (a tasty bug), I looked more like a half-buried statue than a photographer. I just stayed still, rolling a bit in the sand, and was happy to be part of the scenery. Later, I found sand everywhere.

This is how meerkats say, "You're one of us now!" After hours of quietly watching them, one meerkat calmly lifted its tail and leg and peed on me. It wasn’t aggressive or scared, just a casual way of saying, "You're ours now." Most people wouldn’t call this a career highlight, but for me, it was a strange, damp badge of honor! One was still not sure if she could accept me as a new member.

Young meerkats don’t just walk, they bounce! Two pups on a small dune seemed to defy gravity as they chased each other, leaped, rolled, tumbled, and then started all over again. It looked like pure play, but it was also their way of learning to move quickly and recover from anything.

This meerkat looks like it’s peeking behind the bush for a quick break — nature’s own little bathroom break!

This fearless meerkat shows off its scorpion catch — talk about living on the wild side!

A baby meerkat with a tiny body, big eyes, and perfect posture stood on a red Kalahari dune at sunrise. It was trying its best to act like an adult sentry. What you don’t see in the photo are the wobbles, the tumbles down the dune, and the determined climb back up. Practice makes perfect! Dreaming too!

The whole meerkat mob is on high alert, perfectly synchronized in their watchful gaze. Probably just a leaf, but better safe than sorry!

This curious meerkat pup peeks out from behind a watchful adult, learning the ropes of sentry duty.

This meerkat stands tall, keeping watch over the bustling Kalahari mob and all their hilarious antics.

False alarm, all were running to the den, until the whistle came - I was wrong, sorry!

The Outlook takes his job very serious. Of course, the whole family needs to be protected.

This little meerkat, with red sand on its nose, seems to be asking if it's time for its close-up as it just starts to speed up across the Kalahari.

Everyone's on alert, from the tiny pups to the seasoned adults, all eyes on the horizon.

This speedy meerkat dashes across the Kalahari, probably late for breakfast.

This meerkat stands tall and alert, the perfect guardian of the Kalahari.

Sometimes, the funniest moments are subtle. One proud meerkat walked by with a long blade of grass stuck across its face. It blinked and twitched, but the grass stayed put. For a few seconds, it looked like the meerkat was wearing funny "sunglasses." Then, with a quick flick, the grass was gone, and the meerkat returned to its serious work. This is my all-time favorite meerkat photo!

Digging for dinner, or perhaps just redecorating the Kalahari landscape with a flourish of sand.

This meerkat mob is perfectly lined up, perhaps for a group photo, or maybe they just spotted the snack delivery.

This little meerkat pup is clearly ready for a break, chilling out on the warm Kalahari sand.

This meerkat stands tall, scanning the Kalahari horizon with quiet vigilance.