Join us daily at dawn to witness these incredible wild habituated creatures emerging out of their burrows, just in time to soak up the sun before they head about their daily activities. Meerkats are also referred to as the Suricate or in German as the Erdmännchen and are known to be part of the Mongoose family. They are small species of foraging mammals that’s usually found inhabiting the harsh conditions of the open and arid, semi-desert plains in Southern Africa. Meerkats are known for their upright stance and their sociable behaviour. Buffelsdrift Game Lodge is situated in the heart of the Klein Karoo and offers the ideal environment and vegetation for Meerkats to thrive. The Meerkat Safaris at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge will bring you up close to these amazing animals. A trained ranger will meet our guests in the Lookout Lounge, where they will enjoy a warm cup of coffee and rusks, before heading to the Safari vehicle by which they will be taken to the Meerkat burrows. On the way to the burrows guests are usually lucky to spot some of the 22 species of animals on the reserve. As there are dangerous animals like Buffalo and Hippo on the reserve, the guests remain on the vehicle while waiting for the Meerkats to emerge at the break of dawn. The ranger will educate the guests on all the interesting facts and behaviour throughout the experience.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:  These are wild habituated Meerkats and will not be touched or handled by humans, including the ranger.  The distance from the Meerkats and the guests will at all times be determined by the ranger and respected by the guests.  Maximum of 16 guests per vehicle.  Maximum of 2 vehicles per day.  No children under the age of eight years.  Advanced bookings only.  Please call Lodge day before activity to reconfirm departure time. Please note: Weather permitting On sunny mornings our meerkats wake up on time, but conditions such as rain and cold overcast mornings can delay the meerkats to emerge from their burrows for the morning. Meerkats prefer clear sunny mornings. Thus, in the event of above mentioned weather conditions, there is a possibility that we will not see the meerkats or that the meerkat safari can be cancelled. Currently Buffelsdrift Game Lodge has embarked on an extensive Meerkat research program. Volunteers at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge will be utilized to help the ranger with data collection and behaviour observations. For more information, visit our Volunteer Program.