“Meet the Meerkats” Submerges discovery+ Audiences Into the Wild World of Rescued Meerkats Making Their Way in the Wild for the First Time Ever

Welcome to the Kalahari Desert in South Africa where three rescued meerkat families (mobs) are learning the way of life in the wild for the very first time. In MEET THE MEERKATS, an all-new series on discovery+, the definitive non-fiction, real life subscription streaming service, audiences will meet a cast of distinct characters and personalities and be submerged into the incredible world of meerkats while following the journey of three rehabilitated mobs, most of whom were snatched from the wild as pups and returned to their rightful home in Africa after being rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Witness their stories of resilience and evolution as their lives ebb and flow in their new environment bringing the inevitable mix of joy, wonder and jeopardy that make these gregarious animals so irresistible. MEET THE MEERKATS premieres on discovery+ Saturday, May 8. The series is narrated by actor/comedian Rob Delaney (Catastrophe).

Dominant females Zola, Marli and Bela run the show – the first meerkat mob is overseen by Zola, the heart and soul of her family, along with her partner, Scar, the dominant male. The second mob is run by matriarch Marli, who is pregnant, and has two love interests; Zewli, the father to her two daughters, Thandi and Thembi, and her unborn pups; and gentle giant Arno, her protector, who is absolutely dedicated to her. The third mob, introduced later in the season, is run by Bela, a streetwise rewilded meerkat Mom raising her young family alone after losing her partner. These families must learn what all meerkats born in the wild know: the strict rules of meerkat society and how teamwork is the key to survival.

In the premiere episode of MEET THE MEERKATS, discovery+ audiences will watch as two mobs find their freedom and their feet in the harsh Kalahari Desert. Both experience their first taste of freedom after being carefully rehabilitated and released, and it falls to Zola and Marli to keep their inexperienced families safe. We’ll watch as a run in with an unknown beast leaves Marli’s family shaken, Zola’s gang discovers an unexpected feast, rival meerkat males battle it out in a power struggle, and the arrival of five precious pups puts a family to the ultimate test – raising their first litter in the wild. Multiple MEET THE MEERKATS storylines this season include those of nurturing, hunting, survival, romance, territorial battles with each mob overcoming the many challenges – joys and sorrows – of a life of freedom in the wild in Africa.

discovery+ audiences witness new lives beginning in the wild where alliances are created; the drawing of enemy lines; first time encounters with predators; and the rollercoaster ride of raising pups. It is only through the long history and experience of Riaan Ventor and Carl Ruysenaar that the intimate lives of these extraordinary animals can be brought to discovery+ audiences in such spectacular and intimate detail.

In addition to streaming Meet the Meerkats on discovery+, viewers can join the conversation on social media by using #MeettheMeerkats and following @AnimalPlanet on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok and @discoveryplus on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more updates.

MEET THE MEERKATS is produced for discovery+ by Plimsoll Productions where Martha Holmes serves as executive producer, Riaan Venter as director of photography and Virginia Quinn as showrunner. For discovery+, Howard Swartz is executive producer with Joe Mazzeo as coordinating producer.