Photo of the Day
Meerkats gathered in South Africa’s Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, standing alert in a group.
April 29, 2026 | All Hail the Matriarch
In South Africa’s Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, meerkats (Suricata suricatta) live in tightly knit, multigenerational clans organized around a dominant female. A story from the January 2026 issue of the magazine describes how the matriarch is often the only one to breed, while the rest of the group helps raise pups, forage, and stand guard. Larger and more aggressive than her subordinates, she enforces order and keeps the group coordinated. Without her, researchers have found, the clan can struggle to find food and protect itself.
