Meerkat Manor

Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins is a 2008 television film created by Discovery Films and Oxford Scientific Films as a prequel to the Animal Planet series Meerkat Manor. A scripted documentary narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, the film details the life of a meerkat named Flower from birth to her becoming the leader of a meerkat group called the Whiskers. The film is based on the research notes of the Kalahari Meerkat Project and primarily uses wild meerkat "actors" to represent those in the story. Shot over two years at the Kuruman River Reserve in Northern Cape, South Africa, the film employed a much larger crew than the series. Some scenes were shot at a wildlife park in the United Kingdom, while others were created using camera tricks and trained film animals. .

Flower, as the dominant female of the group, has a lot to worry about, including her wounded son, Shakespeare, rivals, and her children's affiliation with the rivals.

After being bitten by a puff adder, Shakespeare continues his struggle to survive. Carlos, a male from a rival family, threatens Flower's pups. The Whiskers have a territorial dispute with the Lazuli family. Daisy becomes overly friendly with Carlos.

Flower's daughter has pups, making the Whiskers a family of 37. Flower must decide whether to keep all the pups or allow them to die so her own litter can survive. While searching for food, the wounded Shakespeare becomes separated from the group.

Season 2 brings winter to Meerkat Manor. The Whiskers did not find Shakespeare after the Lazuli attack and he is presumed dead. Other tragedies are reshaping the families and Youssarian hopes to become the dominant male of the Lazuli clan.

While on their first foraging trip, Flower's new pups are caught out in the open by a gang of war-dancing meerkats. Two of the Whiskers males who want to mate with Lazuli females join Youssarian.

The Commandoes, a new enemy family, spend the night on the Whiskers territory. A conflict ensues between the Whiskers, the Lazuli and the Commandoes.

The third season opens with Flower leading the Whiskers gang to better hunting grounds. When they cross into territory claimed by the rival Zappa clan, an altercation with them ends with a missing pup.

After Flower's pups go missing in Zappa territory, Mitch helps to reunite the family and the pups. During his mission, he encounters Mozart and Carlos, who have started their own group.

The Whiskers are getting acquainted with their new territory as Mozart and Kinkajou compete for the role of dominant female of the new Starsky group.

Maybelline dominance over the Aztecs begins to crumble and members start leaving the gang. Rocket Dog has similar problems with the Whiskers.

When Wilson tries to join the Aztecs and Zaphod deters his encroachment, he seeks attention from one of the Whiskers females.

A vicious Nikita defends her territory when the Whiskers wander onto Commando territory.