Both these pathfinders, known as ASKAP (Australia) and Meerkat (South Africa), will now be incorporated into the early development of the network.

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Meerkat life is built around a social pack of 10 to 30 meerkats, and all members benefit if the group stays large and healthy.

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The cuddly bear from darkest Peru beat a shortlist of other distinguished characters including Super Ted, Aleksandr Meerkat and Wallace and Gromit to the title.

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If MeerKAT succeeds, it might help persuade sceptical governments to cough up for the SKA. It will also enhance South Africa's chances of hosting this much larger project.

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And it has KAT-7, and will shortly have MeerKAT.

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Simples, as the meerkat might say.

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