How fast can a meerkat run?

A meerkat can run up to 20 miles per hour. Meerkats also have highly developed senses. They are very social animals and live in colonies of up 20 or 30 members. The animals are often seen standing on their hind legs, alert to danger.

If a meerkat senses danger, it sounds an alarm call to warn the other members of the colony. The biggest threat to meerkats are birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles. Meerkats keep safe from predators by living in underground burrows. These burrows are found all over the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and South Africa. Meerkats are covered in a sandy-colored fur that matches their desert surroundings.