Meerkat Mourning: The Death of Flower
I have been a devoted fan of Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor since the beginning. They are so cute (except when they are crunching scorpions -- yuck!) and their personalities and daily dramas really come to life thanks to well-written scripts and the great narration of Sean Astin. Like a daytime soap opera or a primetime drama, this show tells the stories of a large, powerful family (the Whiskers), headed by a fearless leader (Flower, the matriarch), eluding enemies (snakes, birds of prey, squirrels), dealing with fierce rivals (the Commandos and the Zappas), all set in an exotic location (Africa's Kalahari desert).
It is easy to forget that these meerkat stories aren't pure fabrications and the "cast members" aren't actors. These programs are depictions of real events and animals and I was sadly reminded of that when Flower received a fatal snake bite while defending her pups in a recent episode. Because so many viewers grew to love Flower there has been an outpouring of affection, online discussions and tributes.
Reading her obituary almost had me in tears, but I smiled when I read the end "The family has asked that all donations be made in Flower's name to the Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center."
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