Meerkat Manor: Flower of the Kalahari [Paperback]

Tim Clutton-Brock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 2008

Meet Flower, dominant female of the Whiskers group of meerkats. This is the story of how she was orphaned when the group was threatened by its powerful neighbouring meerkats. It tells how she was banished from the group, then unexpectedly saved from certain death before making a triumphant return to the group as dominant female. This is the true story of long, hot days in the Kalahari - sunning, foraging, breeding, fighting for supremacy and defending the range. Including a whole host of colourful characters, "Meerkat Manor" shows how meerkat society is a combination of selfless cooperation and ruthless competition, providing important insights into behaviour in other animals, including humans. Played out with all the drama of a soap opera, this book offers a fascinating look at the lives of these little-understood creatures.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (May 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416587675
• ISBN-13: 978-1416587675
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,039,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flower Feast, October 6, 2008

By 

L. Wier "major eclectic" (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Meerkat Manor: Flower of the Kalahari (Paperback)

A feast for Flower lovers or anyone who can't get enough of Meerkat Manor! Substantial weight "slick" paper (used for entire book) gave each picture a "hi-def" look, and there are plenty of them.
Aside from more detailed insider information (written by Cambridge
Professor Tim Clutton-Brock) there are maps of the Manor divided into
the territories held by the major meerkat clans, a chronology of Flower's life, geneological notes on Flower's children, and full-color pictures on nearly every page. Prof. Clutton-Brock has been
studying the meerkats of this area since 1993 and has done a marvelous
job of organizing and delivering a thorough and enjoyable discussion
of all things meerkat, and of Flower in particular.
I highly recommend this book for all meerkat lovers. It is worth every
penny. I know you won't be disappointed.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fills in the Science, June 29, 2008

By 

Paul M. Destefano - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Meerkat Manor: Flower of the Kalahari (Paperback)

Gives details of the Meerkat project that are sometimes only touched briefly in the Animal Planet TV series. There is heavy emphasis on reproductive strategies such as male roving and the frequent practice of infanticide of sibling's pups by pregnant females. Definitely for the reader who wants a deeper understanding of the sociobiology of another mammalian species not for someone who expects a gushing anthropomorphic indulgence. For that, view the movie!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great companion to the show., June 29, 2008

By 

The Linea Alba (Meteor Falls, Hoenn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meerkat Manor: Flower of the Kalahari (Paperback)

The book is full of beautiful photography and offers insight and additional detail to events that were softly touched on by the Animal Planet series of the same name - I find that the chart of all of Flower's pups in the back of the book to be particularly helpful.

Overall, it is well-written and easy to read - anyone who is interested in animals, Meerkat Manor, or Meerkats in general will enjoy this book.