Richard Collins: Not meer-ly making noises — they're sharing important news

Scientists have learned that meerkat chit-chat exchanges are vital to security

Meerkats live in dry regions of southern Africa. There is safety in numbers and they have a 'web' of interactive calling. Picture: Vlad Demartsev/​dpa 

Pity the father of the bride as he faces the terrors of the podium: ‘Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking .. any one of you would be so much better at this than me, but since I find myself on my feet etc etc‘ . A little African animal, however, has no such inhibitions. Not only does it speak in public, doing so is essential to its survival.

In January 1987, the television documentary Meerkats United was transmitted by the BBC. Narrated by David Attenborough, it transformed an unknown little animal into a wildlife celebrity. Cute and cuddly meerkats became such a hit with the public that zoos everywhere sought to exhibit them. Pet shops began selling meerkats, although the RSPCA says that they are not suitable ‘companion’ animals. ‘It is difficult to meet their complex needs in a captive environment’.