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Shakespeare Whiskers
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Mob
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Dominant?
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No
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Partner
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None
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Birth Date
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8th November 2002
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Death Date
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Last seen on 11th March 2005
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Death Cause
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Disappeared
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Parents
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Known for
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One of Flower's sons, Star on Meerkat Manor
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Shakespeare was the son of Flower and Zaphod. He was seen as among the meerkats on Animal Planet Documentary Meerkat Manor and became a fast film favorite. He was featured as Flower's son and an excellent babysitter and senitel. Shakesepare's fame began when he actively saved his younger brother Mitch when he was a three week old pup whom had been taken away from the main Whiskers babysitting burrow by a group of naughty teenage meerkats led by a one-year-old Kinkajou. He carried little Mitch back to the babysitting burrow. When the Whiskers were mobbing a Puff Adder (one of the world's most fast striking viper snakes), Shakespeare got cought in front and paid the price. He was bittent twice, on the cheek and on the theigh. Shakespeare managed to drag himself to the safety and security of the burrow but his leg was badly wounded. After a couple of days he remarkably managed to survive and slowly began to forage. His two evicted sisters Mozart and Baddiel (aka Tosca) joined him when the rest of the group was away. Shakespeare slowly made a full recovery from the snake bite and survived. On Meerkat Manor he was seen babysitting Flower's pups, Parsley (Flo), Rose (Finn), Columbus (Kim) and Basil. The Lazuli attacked the burrow and Shakespeare put his life on hold to defend Flower's pups. He was known to have been attacked by Big Si (Basil) the dominant male of the Lazuli group. Shortly after the attack, he disappeared from view. According to the KMP (Kalahari Meerkat Project) Shakespeare disappeared on March 11, 2005 and was either predated or roved to join another group.
History
Shakespeare (VWM054) was born on 8th November 2002. He was born in the Whiskers Mob. His was born in a litter of four with three litter-mates, his sister Mozart (VWF053), Einstein (VWM052) and Freud (VWM055). His mother was Flower (VWF026) and his father was Zaphod (VVM032). Shakespeare and all his litter-mates survived their first part of life in the group. By 17th January 2003 his mother Flower was pregnant again. Flower gave birth to Pookie (VWM057), Cookie (VWM056) and Sookie (VWF058). His father Zaphod only recently got male dominance in Whiskers, by the seventh of March 2003, Zaphod was attacked by Alexander (VVM037) and Artemis's son Dangerous Dave (VWM035). Zaphod was evicted. Shakespeare was still a young male by then so could not join male meerkat fights within the group. On the eighteenth of March 2008, his litter-mate brother Freud disappeared from the group. One of Flower's recent pups Sookie disappeared. Cookie died on 21st March 2003. Flower was pregnant again by 7th August 2003 and gave birth to Kinkajou (VWF059), Rocket Dog (VWF060), Ragga Muffin (VWM061) and Super Furry Animal (VWF062; "Daisy" on Meerkat Manor). A while after, his sister Mozart and his older sister Baddiel (VWF049) became pregnant . On 21st December 2003, Mozart aborted her first litter. Baddiel gave birth to her first litter on ninth of March 2004 to De La Soul (VWF068), Arrested Development (VWM069), Flava Flav (VWM070) and Bad Boy Bubby(VWM071). The whole litter survived. Shakespeare's mother Flower gave birth to her fifth litter on February 22, 2004 to Monkulus(VWF063), Armanita Ditch(VWF064), Pozzo(VWM065), Lucky(VWF066) and Zarathustra(VWM067). By then Shakespeare was a full grown meerkat in the group and a regular senitel and babysitter. His father Zaphod then lost dominance to uncle Yossarian(VVM033). One of Flower's recent pups, Lucky, disappeared on 7th June 2004. Flower gave birth to her sixth litter of pups on 6th September 2004 to Hawkeye(VWF072), Logan(VWM073), Mitch(VWM074) and Cruise(VWF075). Mozart gave birth to her first surviving litter on 28th September 2004 to Tina Sparkle(VWF076), , VWF077, Spud(VWM078) and VWM079. Baddiel gave birth to her second litter on Maladoy(VWM080), Jogu(VWM081) and VWM082.The litter had to remain at the burrow until Mozart and Baddiel's litters were old enoug to forage as well. When the pups reached three weeks old, a group of noughty juvenile meerkats took one of the three week old pups, Mitch, from the burrow and carried him off. Kinkajou was among the juvenile meerkats and she and her little gang abandoned Mitch. Alone, Mitch would have certainly died from predation or dehydration. Fortunately, Shakespeare was among the adults who returned early after the days forage and carried little Mitch back to the safety and security of the babysitting burrow. Yoosarian was deposed and Zaphod was back to being the Whiskers dominant male. Yossarian then forced a burrow move and carried one of Mozart's pups above ground. At first, Shakespeare carried the tiny pup back underground, but Yossarian forced another den move which resulted in the death of one of Mozart's pups, VWF077. After the pups( including Flower's, Mozart's and Baddiel's) all left to forage with the group, Mozart's pup VWM079 and Baddiel's pup VWM082 disappeared.
On November 23, 2004 while the Whiskers group was foraging they came across a bolt hole claimed by a puff adder snake. The group began to mob the predator. Shakespeare was among the members infront and the snake struck at him, bit him on the side of the face and on his leg theigh. As the group moved on, Shakespeare was begining to struggle to walk, since Puff Adder venom is cyto-toxic which kills tissue and destroys the flash around the wound. Eventually he managed to drag himself back to the Whiskers burrow. Mozart and Baadiel had been evicted by Flower and were trailing the group. Shakespeare remarkably managed to make it through the night and slowly began to use his three legs to forage. Outcast Mozart and Baddiel joined him while the rest of the group was away. After days since the attack Shakespeare's led fortunately heeled and he made a full recovery. Flower gave birth to her seventh litter of pups on 6th December 2004 , to Petra(VWF083), Machu Pichu(VWM084), Ningaloo(VWM085) and Popkat(VWF086). The Whiskers split, and Shakespeare remained with Flower, Zaphod, Mitch, Pozzo, Mozart and other few meerkats, while the rest of the family including Super Furry Animal, Yossarian etc were at a seperate burrow. Outcast Baddiel joined the splinter group and took dominant female position away from Super Furry Animal. Popkat disappeared on 3rd January 2005 shortly after the group split. The two halves of the Whiskers then reunited. Super Furry Animal was later on evicted from the group on 5th November 2005. Baddiel disappeared after her permanent eviction from the group after the groups reunited.
Disappearence
Shakespeare, rest in peace
Shakespeare was about three years old when he sadly disappeared and was last seen on 11th March 2005. According to Meerkat Manor, he was possibly killed defending Flower's pups during an attack by the Lazuli group. According to the Kalahari Meerkat Project(KMP), he disappeared and was either killed by a predator, went roving and joined another group, also possibly could have been killed by the meerkats whose group he tried to join , since meerkats can be killed in an attempt to join another group). See This page , it shows a small portion of news report on his disappearence.
