Grant McIlrath has had experience both with Meerkats in the wild as well as captive ones in zoos.  He has even had one as a pet.  Grant was born in 1973 in South African, and still resides there today.  I have spent time with Grant in the Kalahari and seen his love , knowledge and devotion to Meerkats is matched with few in the world today.  He has kindly offered to answer your questions regarding Meerkats.  Your e-mails are going directly to him in the Kalahari desert where is presently studding Meerkat behavior.

Since 1993 Grant has been the field manager of a research project investigating the behavior patterns of Meerkats in the Kalahari desert.  He also spent time researching Meerkats in the Kalahari Gemsbuck Park.  Lately he has been specializing in adjusting wild Meerkats to accept humans among their gangs, so they can be studied.  He has spent more time among wild Meerkats than anyone.  Grant also studies Meerkats in captivity at the Johannesburg Zoological Gardens in South Africa.

Since 1993 he has been a staff member of the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.  He has also worked as a trainee park ranger.  There are also several documentaries and a feature film Grant has participated in as a technical consultant on Meerkats.  One of the more prominent productions being a documentary by National Geographic filmed in 2000 called " Walking With Meerkats "

Grant McIlrath in the Kalahari

To Email Grant a question, click below:

mkproj@mweb.co.za