The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes called the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family. It is native to the Southern African countries of South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. There are in fact, 12 sub-species of yellow mongoose found in Southern Africa. They are listed as animals of “least concern” by the IUCN.

The yellow mongoose is a social animal that inhabits grasslands, savannas, and scrublands, where they live together as a family unit of male, female, and their latest offspring, older adults, and those who have an affiliation with the group. They often share the same burrows as ground squirrels and meerkats. Yellow mongooses are quite territorial, setting boundaries with scent marking. They become extremely vocal when excited, angry, or scared.

They are diurnal, spending days foraging for food but retreat to their burrows at night or if the weather turns bad or if they sense danger. They are omnivores, feeding on a variety of foods, including ants, termites, locusts, birds, frogs, snakes, beetles, nuts, fruits, and seeds. In turn, they are prey for snakes, birds of prey, and jackals.