Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Northern Cape · Best Aug to Oct
9 places
Wildlife
Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
The meerkat or suricate (Suricata suricatta) is a small carnivoran belonging to the mongoose family (Herpestidae).
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records926 records
Curve from 926 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Northern Cape and beyond
Provinces where Meerkat is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
926 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Meerkat
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Phefumula Country Retreat
Magaliesburg
From R 1,000a night
Meerkat recorded here
Aquila Private Game Reserve & Spa
Touws River
From R 7,820a night
Meerkat recorded here
Heritage View Birding Retreat
Delareyville
From R 1,000a night
Meerkat recorded here
Lupus Den Country House
Sundays River Valley, Addo
From R 2,600a night
Meerkat recorded here
Twee Rivieren Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Meerkat recorded here
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Meerkat recorded here
Sendelingsdrif Rest Camp
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Meerkat recorded here
Mountain Zebra National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
From R 449a night
Meerkat recorded here
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Meerkat recorded here
Mata-Mata Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Meerkat recorded here
Langebos Huts
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,093a night
Meerkat recorded here
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Meerkat recorded here
Grootkolk Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Meerkat recorded here
Bitterpan Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Meerkat recorded here
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Meerkat recorded here
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 1,490a night
Meerkat recorded here
Motswedi Camp Site
Mokala National Park
From R 628a night
Meerkat recorded here
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Meerkat recorded here
Kokerboomkloof Camp Site
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Meerkat recorded here
Camdeboo Rest Camp
Camdeboo National Park
From R 345a night
Meerkat recorded here
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve
Western Cape
Price on request
Meerkat recorded here
Skilpad Rest Camp
Namaqua National Park
From R 953a night
Meerkat recorded here
Nyathi Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,901a night
Meerkat recorded here
Mosu Lodge
Mokala National Park
From R 1,401a night
Meerkat recorded here
The Klein Karoo
Next stop
Dry mountains, ostriches, and Calitzdorp's port wines
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Meerkat
Hosts have recorded the Meerkat at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Addo Elephant National Park and Kwandwe Private Game Reserve.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kgalagadi | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here |
| Addo Elephant | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- Early morning and late afternoon. The Meerkat is out through the day, and easiest to watch before the heat.
- Midday heat. Often resting in shade or near water.
Where to base yourself
Northern Cape
Kgalagadi · Ai-Ais/Richtersveld · Mokala
Northern CapeSelf-driveStays in Northern CapeEastern Cape
Addo Elephant · Kwandwe · Camdeboo
Eastern CapeBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Western Cape
Karoo
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Guided drives from a lodge
A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.
Where hosts record it
Species
Suricata suricatta
Records
926
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Meerkat on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Meerkat in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Meerkat at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Addo Elephant National Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Mokala National Park and Camdeboo National Park and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Meerkat in South Africa?
The Meerkat is most recorded in Northern Cape (45% of records), Eastern Cape (25% of records), Mpumalanga (8% of records), based on 926 iNaturalist observations. 34 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Meerkat on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Meerkat?
The Meerkat is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Addo Elephant National Park: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Mokala National Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Meerkat?
The meerkat or suricate (Suricata suricatta) is a small carnivoran belonging to the mongoose family (Herpestidae). It is the only member of the genus Suricata. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan".