Chayah Kalahari Project 2025/268702/08

Chayah Kalahari Project 2025/268702/08 Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Chayah Kalahari Project 2025/268702/08, Nonprofit Organization, Askham.

Chayah Kalahari Project (formerly known as Solidearth meerkat rehab)is a NPC rehab & rescue for specifically ex pet meerkats
Chayah: The Hebrew word (n!n),"to live, to revive, to keep alive, to give life, recover, repair, restore to life, save, be whole".

28/04/2026

Our 7 little meerkat babies are growing stronger every day 🐾💛

The first tiny eyes are finally starting to open — a magical milestone, even if they’re fashionably a few days late (14 days old already!). Each one is developing at their own pace, and we’re right here cheering them on.

They’re still a little lighter than expected for their age, so we’ve introduced an extra daily feed to give them a boost. Let’s just say… it’s not quite as popular as mom’s milk 😅 but with a bit of patience (and some adorable stubbornness), everyone gets their share.

Watching them grow, wobble, and slowly discover the world is something truly special. We can’t wait to share more of their journey with you all 🤍

Chayah Kalahari Project
Nedbank
Acc 131 7090 179
Current Acc
Branch code
198765
Swift code NEDSZAJJ
Or
Use the QR code at the top of the page for the payment options

27/04/2026

We swapped out our struggling mob, and the new meerkat crew wasted no time showing us how it’s done! 🐾🌿
They spotted a weak point in the old mesh, made a clean getaway, and already have a burrow up and running. Clever, quick, and clearly settling in just fine — we’ll call that a success so far! 😄.

25/04/2026

Educational Post: Ethical & Responsible Rehabilitation

Please read to the end — understanding responsible rehabilitation is important.

The first clips show a mob released from their soft-release enclosure yesterday. By this morning, they had already established a burrow network and are calm and stable — exactly what we aim for.

The second mob, opened a week ago, is still sleeping in the enclosure, staying there during the day, and has not developed a burrow system. This shows there are no natural burrow-makers in the group.

Meerkats are born into specific roles. Without those roles, a mob cannot survive independently. If we had simply released them without monitoring, they would not have survived — defeating the purpose of re-establishing the species.

We intervened, recaptured them (they were eager to return to the carry case), and brought them back to restructure the mob so they have a real chance of survival.

A new mob has now been placed into their soft-release enclosure and will be opened tomorrow. We are hopeful they will adapt like the first group.

We are only two people doing this, with limited resources and an unreliable vehicle, so we can manage a maximum of seven mobs at a time. As these groups become less dependent, we will continue releasing.

The five mobs already released are still monitored, but are becoming increasingly independent — which is the goal.

This work is not about chasing numbers, but about achieving successful, sustainable results.

Responsible rehabilitation means monitoring, intervening when necessary, and giving these animals the best possible chance to thrive and establish themselves in the wild.

Copyright reserved as the work and research of Chayah Kalahari Project

18/04/2026

Our Dune mob has babies! 🐾

We saw them for the very first time on Friday, and it’s a huge milestone for this group. They’ve settled in incredibly well and are already showing encouraging signs of independence.

One of the biggest indicators? They’re eating less of the food we put out. That’s exactly what we want to see—it means they’re starting to learn how to forage properly.

A crucial fact many people don’t realize: meerkats that were once tame have to relearn their natural instincts to survive in the wild. Around 90% of their diet lives underground, so they need time to figure out where and how to dig for food. This isn’t something that can be fully taught in a rehabilitation center—it’s something they learn through experience, with our support along the way.

They also need to relearn what’s actually dangerous. In the beginning, even something as harmless as a rock pigeon flying overhead can send them running for cover. Over time, they learn to distinguish real threats from harmless ones.

Health is another big part of the journey. Many of these animals arrive with compromised immune systems due to incorrect diets in domestic environments. That’s why we provide medical support when needed, gradually reducing it as their natural resilience builds.

We’re proud to say this mob is now thriving—no health issues, no signs of coccidia (a major killer in domesticated meerkats), and well on their way to becoming fully self-sufficient.

This is what a successful release looks like:
✔ Intensive rehabilitation
✔ Careful reintroduction
✔ Ongoing post-release monitoring

If we truly want to protect this species, we have to give them a fair chance. Simply releasing animals and assuming they’ll cope because they’re “wild” is not only wrong—it’s cruel. When animals have been kept as pets, their natural instincts are not fully developed, and they need guidance to rediscover them.

This is why we do what we do. And this… is a success story. 💛

12/04/2026

There’s something truly special about the quiet understanding between animals 🐾

Life gets busy, and sometimes we don’t always have the time we wish we did… but moments like these remind me how incredible their connections are. Bella is the only one who knows exactly how to calm Joe-Joe, bringing him from chaos to complete peace in seconds. No words, no commands—just pure instinct, trust, and love.

It amazes me how they “speak” to each other without saying a single thing. There’s a kind of magic in that bond that we humans can learn so much from 💛

Grateful for these gentle reminders of connection, patience, and unconditional love.

Chayah Kalahari Project
Nedbank
Acc 131 7090 179
Current Acc
Branch code 198765
Swift code NEDSZAJJ
Or
Use the QR code at the top of the page for the payment options

I've posted earlier about the "mob" characters of the meerkats. The reason behind this is to bring something light into ...
08/04/2026

I've posted earlier about the "mob" characters of the meerkats. The reason behind this is to bring something light into the dark world of illegal wildlife trafficking. And with that bring knowledge that we have gained over a span of 13 years, to the forefront in a fun and light way. A group of meerkats are called a mob therefore the "mafia mob" tone. But the underbelly of the illegal trade in meerkats are dark and sad causing a very unique species to suffer, becoming the spoils of war where greed has the upper hand. For 13 years we've been actively trying to stop and draw attention to the sad reality of the illegal trade. We've tried to rescue meerkats from petshops in China and Dubai. Tried to get meerkats back to SA, from France, UK,and USA. Writing letters to "important " people, pleading with people with influence to hear their plea for help. Mostly to no avail. And with cute videos and social media just fuelling it even more, its a hard and relentless battle where ego and status far outweighs the interests of the animals. They are unique animals with true and strong characters. Real little desert warriors. And we will keep being the voice for them. So just maybe someone will find a story more intriguing than real life and through that, finally we can shed some light on the dark trade. Helping the meerkats finally; who knows? Or just maybe a "real life character " will help giving them the voice they need. So all writings will be true, just written in a lively way, so people can realize the intricate character behind the name. They're not just names. They are little creatures that matter and also deserve protection. Why should they be treated as less important than the others just because it suits humanity? They are smuggled and treated just as bad as pangolins and rhinos, they just suffer longer as misunderstood "pets". The suffering just prolonged, but overlooked, because our senses as humans are being nurtured by the cute videos, while the suffering is the side we get to see daily.

Introducing the characters of our first mob in Burrow Town. And so the chronicles and daily mob rivalries start with a b...
08/04/2026

Introducing the characters of our first mob in Burrow Town. And so the chronicles and daily mob rivalries start with a bang🧨
Hope you enjoy as our news 📰 from Burrow Town develops through territory claims and dominance battles. Who will be the mob staking their claim.
Or will it be more than one mob?. No one knows!! 📍
Will Burrow Town be divided while new alliances form or will every mob stand their ground?
Who will become friends and who will become foes? In Burrow Town you always have to have eyes👀 everywhere because a great alliance can become your deadliest enemy within a split second......
Frikkie still the mob boss ruling the roost. But for how long???
Burrow Town - where friendships are more like ticking time bombs 💣

Kalahari sunsets never disappoint. Even Bella is captivated by the beauty
05/04/2026

Kalahari sunsets never disappoint. Even Bella is captivated by the beauty

30/03/2026

🚨 NEVER A DULL MOMENT WITH THE HOUSE MOB 🚨

So… let’s talk about Karo. Our sweet, innocent, totally-not-suspicious Karoo lady… 😇

For weeks now, madam has been mysteriously disappearing at bedtime. Like clockwork. One minute she’s there, next minute… gone. Vanished. Houdini in fur form. Only to be found the next morning casually chilling next to one of the enclosures like nothing happened.

Naturally, bedtime has turned into:
“WHERE IS KARO?!”
cue frantic searching, mild panic, and a lot of side-eye 👀

Well… turns out Karo has been living a double life.

Lady Karoo has been sneaking into a specific enclosure every evening… where the alpha female recently had pups. Yes. THAT enclosure.

Apparently, Karo thought she found herself a little secret side mission while mom went off to the nursery at night. We’re still not sure WHO she was visiting… but she was definitely up to something 👀

BUT TODAY… 😬

Today the pups (now over 21 days old) joined the mob earlier than expected… and Karo walked straight into the alpha female herself.

And oh. my. word.

The commotion. The drama. The scandal.

Karo was caught red-pawed in broad daylight by the lady of the manor 💅

Luckily for her (and our blood pressure), the alpha female chose dominance over destruction 🙏
Karo got a proper telling-off, a bruised ego, and a very clear message:
THIS. IS. NOT. YOUR. HOUSE.

And so…

Ladies and gentlemen… we present:
✨ The Meerkat Walk of Shame ✨

Head low. Pride gone. Life choices reconsidered.

Let’s hope Karo has learned her lesson…
(but honestly… we’re not holding our breath 🤣)

29/03/2026

A very heartbroken warthog at the back door today 💔🐗

Poor Joe-Joe just wants to come inside and be part of our peaceful Sunday afternoon… but we all know that would turn into instant chaos 😅

So for now, he’s staying outside with his little lamb buddy 🐑💕
Not that he agrees… because the warthog tantrum happening right now is next level drama 😂

Shame man… the struggle is real when you’re not allowed inside 🥹

Address

Askham
8814

Telephone

+27833880898

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chayah Kalahari Project 2025/268702/08 posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Chayah Kalahari Project 2025/268702/08:

Shortcuts

Share

Category