[Columbia, SC] - The Riverbanks SCE&G ZooView webcam will move to the meerkat exhibit this Thursday, February 8. Audiences that have been captivated by the ever-popular hit show Meerkat Manor, will get the chance to observe Riverbanks Zoo and Garden’s meerkat gang day in and day out throughout the month of February.

“Meerkat Manor has brought a lot of attention to the intriguing life of meerkats,” said Sue Pfaff, the assistant curator of mammals at Riverbanks.  “Riverbanks is fortunate to have meerkats to see in person, especially since meerkats are not native to North America.”

Meerkats are native to South Africa. They run in gangs/mobs of up to 30 members and act as a family unit playing, grooming and foraging together. Meerkat Manor follows a gang of meerkats and lets viewers in on their social lifestyles. Through the ZooView webcam, viewers will be able observe Princess, Harry, Gator and the gang that make up Riverbanks’ entertaining meerkat family.

Princess, the alpha female, is the leader and only female among the family. You can catch one of the males always standing—up to 12 inches high—on guard duty while the others hunt. A bark or whistle can be heard as an alert for predators. Meerkats eat meat and insects and are able to eat poisonous snakes and scorpions because of their immunity to venom. These fascinating animals look as if they are wearing sunglasses due to the dark patches surrounding their eyes. This helps cut down on the glare from the sun.

The meerkats may look cute, touchable and domesticated, but they are deceiving. Meerkats are wild animals with exceptional defense mechanisms such as their long claws, razor sharp teeth and territorial ways. Also, meerkats have a distinct musky odor that would not work well in a human household, making them cute but not good pets.

To access the SCE&G ZooView webcam, viewers can visit a number of different Web sites: www.riverbanks.org; www.scegzooview.com; www.wltx.com and www.niethestate.com.

Viewers, who have grown attached to watching their favorite animals on the webcam can plan an outing to Riverbanks to visit the animal collection. For more information, call (803) 779-8717.