A family of meerkats gather together for a meerkat family portrait, complete with mother, father, baby on high-chair, grandparent on walking frame, nerdy second youngest and rebellious teens. Clothes were optional.

Last year I drew ‘Meerkats on a Plane’, featuring a plethora of meerkats standing upright mid-flight in their seats, much to the flight attendant’s dismay. You will be pleased to know they all landed safely and seven of them agreed to pose for this meerkat family portrait.

I’ve often admired the photos of meerkats online where they are huddled together as if they are posing for a family photo. I decided to create my own by generating some stereotypical human-like family members. OK, the infant and elderly family member may not be so stereotypical with their ability to stand on top of their supporting structures, but this is how I imagined the meerkat equivalents would behave, given that meerkats are frequently standing.

The elderly character on the right was at first going to be standing in a wheelchair which I think would be more amusing, but I was running low on time, so he was equipped with a simple walking frame and somehow managed to stand on top of that instead. He also acquired a nice hat and the all-important cardigan.

I guess I shouldn’t digress into a commentary on what everyone is wearing, because it’s rather evident from this family portrait. The clothes they are not wearing are probably more noticeable if that’s possible. Apparently pants weren’t available or were socially frowned upon in meerkat circles.

The daughter (second from right) does not at all look happy to be in the picture or indeed anywhere with her meerkat family. Conversely, everyone else apart from the father looks happy to be anywhere.

I would have to say my favourite facial expression is that of the father. He just looks vacant. Even though he is virtually physically present with his paws on the shoulders of his wife and child, he appears to be miles away. Alternatively, it could just be a case of jet-lag.