NGM JANUARY 2026
EYE TO EYE WITH MEERKATS
 
Meerkats are one of the most complex, fascinating, and beloved mammals on our planet. Since 2002 (when National Geographic published our last National Geographic Magazine story on the topic), over 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published about South Africa’s meerkats. As the Kalahari Desert warms, the matriarchs of meerkat clans are bolstering resilience by exercising firm control. Other features in this issue include:
 
• Learning From Disasters: One year after wildfires ravaged swaths of L.A., those displaced consider what’s been lost—and what work lies ahead.
• How to Engineer the Perfect Hike: In the field with the wilderness wizards making the trails of 
tomorrow more elegant, sustainable and breathtaking. 
• Decoding the Lost Scripts of the Ancient World: Thanks to new technology and fresh discoveries, 
a band of modern code breakers is racing to crack the last undeciphered writing systems—and solve mysteries that have puzzled historians for ages.