[2] Situated at the Kuruman River Reserve in Northern Cape, South Africa, close to the border to Botswana, the project is jointly funded by Cambridge University and the Kalahari Research Trust.
[3] The reserve consists primarily of sparsely vegetated fossil dunes that flatten out near the river, which is usually dry.
The KMP study encompasses 16 groups of meerkats, with six living exclusively on the reserve and the rest having ranges that extend into the surrounding farmland.
Most members of the groups are familiar enough with the human researchers that they are undisturbed by their presence and are relatively easy to touch and collect samples from.
[13] On 8 June 2008, the site was expanded to include a virtual store, powered by Zazzle, through which the project offers a variety of custom meerkat items.