Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center, Inc.

PAW PRINTS

The voice of Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center
January 2015

“I wish we could put up some of the holiday spirit in jars and open one of them every month”

Harlan Miller

You, our treasured “mob members,” are like jars of holiday spirit which we are blessed to open every month with your visits to the sanctuary and your generous support of the meerkats. We send you heart-felt thanks for adopting and re-adopting, making donations, buying merchandise and providing items on our Wish List. We do not have any paid staff so 100% of your gifts go exclusively to caring for your meerkats. Many, many thanks!

CREATURE COMFORTS

“True friends encourage us, comfort us, and support us like a big easy chair”

H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are able to provide all the “creature comforts” which the meerkats enjoy on a daily basis: An expensive “Kalahari” diet that keeps them healthy and very long lived; heated den boxes with digital thermometers, outdoor heat lamps for cozy “al fresco” dining, and meerkat-sized chairs that keep their fuzzy bums off of the cold dirt. Unfortunately, the weather and years of use ruined the meerkats’ old chairs so we decided to use a portion of your donations and buy new chairs for them. We searched the internet, pet stores, and even various toy stores for appropriate chairs. Like Goldilocks, the chairs had to be “just right.” Not too small, not too big ~~ just right. Not too hard, not too soft ~~ just right. Not too tall, not too short ~~ just right. We searched for weeks to no avail. Finally, one of our donors suggested that we contact a seamstress in Pennsylvania by the name of Betsy Shank. We did and were delighted by her positive response to our request for her to make new chairs for the meerkats. (She said that she had never made chairs for meerkats before. We’re guessing no one has!) We mailed her one of the old, beat-up chairs for her to “dissect” and make a pattern for the new chairs. We sent Betsy fabric samples from the pillows and quilts that we use for guest visits and asked her to pick a complimentary, outdoor fabric to construct the new chairs. Betsy picked the perfect fabrics and made the most adorable chairs for our meerkats.

Pam and

Just right
Photo credit: Ron Martin

RECREATION

“If food is the first necessity of life, recreation is a close second”

Edward Bellamy

Angela and Dave Delgado, donors from San Jose, California, recently surprised the meerkats with a giant ball which they stuffed with hay and worms. The meerkats, very enthusiastically, dove into the hay and rummaged around in pursuit of the worms that were trying desperately to evade detection. A good time was had by all but the worms.

Pam and

Photo credit: Angela Delgado

Trailer

Selfie
Photo credit: Dave Delgado

Trailer

Photobomb
Photo credit: Dave Delgado

Texas donors, Andrea McKiel and Brendan Moman, mailed the meerkats two plastic puzzle boards which are a big hit with our winsome residents. We place various types of insects under the plastic puzzle pieces and inside the sliding drawers for the meerkats to search for.

Trailer

Let the games begin.
Photo credit: Ron Martin

Pam and

Photo credit: Ron Martin

Please note: Although the “creature comforts” and the toys that we provide to the meerkats may imply that meerkats make good pets, they do NOT. Meerkats are one of the most stringently regulated animals in the world. They are illegal to have without numerous permits and licenses which are extremely difficult to obtain. As a small, private facility we have more flexibility than large zoos in providing recreational opportunities for our meerkats because all of our guests are accompanied by experienced guides who explain the complexities of our enrichment program for the meerkats which benefits them physically and psychologically.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

One of our donors, Kim Barker, is a successful Hollywood screenwriter who has done many of the movie scripts for Sandra Bullock. Kim is also a talented photographer who adores meerkats. Kim, very kindly, took a number of darling photographs and had them accepted by the CUTE OVERLOAD website.

Pam and

Photo credit: Kim Barker

Pam and

Photo credit: Kathy Lovin

Pam and

Photo credit: Joy Robbe

We received a telephone call from the staff of National Geographic saying that they were interested in featuring the meerkats and our Director, Pam Bennett-Wallberg, in their new series called The United States of Animals. National Geographic has filmed several documentaries at Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center and it will be our pleasure to welcome them back.

MEERKAT MOTTO

Mr. Price Home is an upscale homeware retailer in southern Africa. Our director, Pam Bennett-Wallberg, was recently contacted by the store’s design manager about the possibility of using Pam’s copyrighted MEERKAT MOTTO on an original scatter cushion design for their stores. Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center will be credited on the pillow design and also our website. In the past, Mr. Price Home has featured elephants on their pillow designs with a quote by Lawrence Anthony, South Africa’s esteemed elephant conservationist. Pam has never before allowed her copyrighted MEERKAT MOTTO to be used. However, she agreed to allow Mr. Price Home to use it to bring awareness to meerkats and to Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center. Additionally, Mr. Price Home will feature our work on their website and in their collateral materials. We are pleased to report that Mr. Price Home made a generous donation to our meerkats.

MEERKAT MOTTO

Respect the Elders, Teach the Young, Cooperate with the Family,
Play when you can, Work when you should, Rest in between.
Share your Affection, Voice your Feelings, Leave your Mark.
Copyright Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center, Inc.

MORE NEWS

AmazonSmile is a simple, automatic way to support Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center every time you shop at Amazon at NO COST to you. AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Fellow Earthlings. On your next visit to http://.AmazonSmile.com simply type in Fellow Earthlings Wildlife Center as your chosen charity BEFORE you start shopping. Although Amazon and AmazonSmile are the same company, only AmazonSmile makes a donation to Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center. The meerkats thank you!
Many of you know that it was our first meerkat, Kalahari, who was the model and inspiration for Disney’s character of Timon in The Lion King. Additionally, Pam Bennett-Wallberg, was chosen to be the meerkat consultant for The Lion King and the film’s credits acknowledge her work with special thanks. Now, here’s something that Disney should be proud of: The Lion King is the top ticket of all time. With a worldwide gross of over $6.2 billion, The Lion King has now achieved the most successful box office total of any work in any media in entertainment history. Pam remembers when Disney’s Director of Animation, Karen Schmidt, called and said, “We’re making a little movie about a lion, a meerkat, and a warthog and we’d like you to be our meerkat expert.”

NOW YOU SEE ME NOW YOU DON’T

On the anniversary of a donor’s adoption, we send a letter to the donor requesting that they re-adopt to help us provide the highest quality, life-long care possible for every one of our little charges. Unlike most charities, if a donor does not respond by re-adopting, we never send them another request for a donation. NEVER! Why? Because we feel it is exceedingly impolite and colossally annoying to the donor. We are a small, private facility so we have the privilege of really knowing our donors. We are curious about the donor’s life and are eager to know about his/her children, travels, pets, hobbies, and accomplishments. On occasion, we page through our Re- Adoption Book and wonder why the donor has not re-adopted. But, of course, we must dismiss this feeling of unease and hope that the donor is well and happy. Then, a month later, or a year later, or 10 years later we receive a donation from the donor who had seemingly vanished. The donation is often accompanied by a letter with sweet, heart-felt explanations: “I have never stopped thinking about the meerkats, but I have been out of work for a year and I just now found a job.” Or, “my husband has been hospitalized for a month and he only came home last week. Our medical bills have been huge, but we wanted to send this donation to the meerkats.” Or, “our last child has just finished college. Whew! So, now we have a more ‘mad money’ for the meerkats.”

We, of course, are tremendously grateful for the donation to the meerkats. But, equally important, the donor touched our hearts with his/her kindness and remembrance. We are blessed to have those kinds of donors be part of our beloved “Meerkat Mob.” Abracadabra! Now we, again, see you. Thank you!

AFRICAN TOUR – October 2014

“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands. The blood flows with the fast circulation of childhood.”

Sir Richard Burton - explorer of Africa 1856

On the October 2014 tour, Pam Bennett-Wallberg and Dantes Liebenberg were delighted to welcome back Karen Brown, a client who had done a previous tour in Africa with them. Karen, who was once rather concerned about traveling in Africa, has become a truly intrepid traveler and will be doing her third tour with Pam and Dantes in May 2016 through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Karen is a dream to travel with because she’s organized, patient, observant, well-read, interesting, fun, and so easy to be with. Thanks for being you, Karen.

Karen was joined on the October 2014 tour by Kristin and Rob Wilson. Although the Wilsons are exceptionally well-traveled, it was their first trip to Africa and it was Dantes and Pam’s great pleasure to have them on board. Like Karen, Kristin and Rob are exceptionally fine travelers. They were appreciative, resourceful, tolerant, self- reliant, entertaining, enthusiastic, and packed light. Pam and Dantes are thrilled that Kristin and Rob have already signed up for another tour in October 2016. Additionally, Dantes and Pam look forward to welcoming Elisabeth Spiro back for her third tour with them in May 2015 for a month’s safari in Zimbabwe. Elisabeth is pure magic to travel with.

Unlike most commercial tours, all the clients for our African tours are “hand-picked” by Pam. She chooses people with an eye to compatibility, common interests, similar activity levels, and ease of personality. Perhaps, that’s why the tours have been such a stunning success. The tours are often booked a year or more in advance. Please contact us by email or telephone if you would like more information about the tours.

Oh, the WONDERS we saw!!

Pam Bennett-Wallberg (R), Rob Wilson, Kristin Wilson and Karen Brown. South Africa.
Photo credit: Dantes Liebenberg

Pam Bennett-Wallberg (R) and Karen Brown. South Africa.
Photo credit: Dantes Liebenberg

Pam Bennett-Wallberg and Dantes Liebenberg. Bontebok South Africa.
Photo credit: Karen Brown

Pam Bennett-Wallberg and Dantes Liebenberg in South Africa.
Photo credit: Karen Brown

Photo credit: Karen Brown

Photo credit: RK Wilson

RON MARTIN

Ron, our Operations Manager extraordinaire, deserves special thanks for his ability to keep everything functioning superbly and looking gorgeous at the sanctuary. His attention to detail and dedication to perfection are seen in everything at the sanctuary: Building projects, repairs, innovations, landscaping, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, and painting, to name but a few. Additionally, Ron is in charge of caring for the meerkats and the domestic animals when our Director, Pam, is in Africa. We are tremendously grateful to this enormously talented man who donates his services at no cost to the sanctuary. Thank you, Ron!

OUR BEVERLY

We first had the great opportunity of meeting Beverly in 2005. She had traveled from Texas in a car that was stuffed to the roof with supplies on our Wish List. We remember her sparkling humor, delightful forthrightness, generosity of spirit, and insatiable love of meerkats. Beverly made many trips to visit her adopted meerkats at Fellow Earthlings and she often made a donation for a full day visit because she simply didn’t want to leave.

Beverly dreamed of going to Africa with Pam so she could see the wild meerkats of southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert. We encouraged her to make her dream come true, but she often said, “I’ll go when I have a little more vacation time saved up, I’ll go when I have a little more money in the bank, or I’ll go when I’m retired.”

We lost our beloved friend recently. She was barely retired. In her will she left her extensive and magnificent collection of meerkat memorabilia to Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center. Beverly missed her chance to see Africa. We are enormously saddened by that ~~ Beverly deserved Africa. We will miss her greatly.

“A friend is someone you share the path with.”

African proverb

Respectfully submitted by Riaan Nel – Volunteer Communications Coordinator