Are Meerkats a Threatened Species?

Meerkats are considered to be in the lower risk status when it comes to conservation. This means they don't necessarily qualify as an endangered or vulnerable group, but could likely be that way in the near future if efforts are not taken to stop their slow decline in the wild. According to the IUCN--the International Union for Conservation of Nature--meerkats are in the least concern category, meaning they are not threatened, near threatened, or conservation dependent. In order to qualify for this category, the IUCN must be able to accurately evaluate their population status in nature and make an accurate assessment of their risk of extinction. The risk must be low or close to non-existent in the present for them to get this status.

The scale the IUCN uses to assess animals conservation status.

                                                       
The only real threat meerkats face in terms of extinction risk is from humans. In places where meerkats live within close distances of humans or have many daily interactions with them, they are often hunted or gassed because of they carry rabies. Although this has not severely hurt the meerkats' population numbers so far, it is a serious concern for their future. Many animal activist and protection groups have tried to sponsor conservation efforts in the areas with the most concern for hunting and gassing of meerkats and have started to bring about awareness of their potential vulnerable status in the near future if such killings keep happening at a quicker rate than the meerkats reproduce. Efforts to move these meerkats to safer locations and efforts to keep human interaction to a minimum in the wild has helped them keep their low concern status to this day.

Meerkats play a crucial part in the wild-life circle in their habitats and their threat or extinction would severely effect many other species. Meerkats provide prey for jackals and eagles and keep the pest infestation to a minimum by making many pest-like insects the staple of their diet. Keeping meerkats at the least concern status they currently hold is beneficial to their entire habitat and ecosystem.

Resources:
http://www.animalfactguide.com/animalfacts/meerkat/
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-meerkat.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Meerkat