If you like short road trips and meerkats, Fellow Earthlings` Wildlife Center is the place for you. Located a mere 45 minutes from Palm Springs in Morongo Valley, the preserve specializes in caring for meerkats, which are small mongooses found in southern Africa. Meerkats are placed at Fellow Earthlings for a variety of reasons: The animals may be orphaned, injured, sick, old, or the previous facility may simply be out of room and can no longer care for them. Guests can visit the Center and hand-feed the meerkats through their "Adopt" program.  One of the Center`s most notable achievements occurred in 1992 when Pam Bennett-Wallberg was chosen by Disney Studios to be their consultant for the meerkat character of Timon in the movie The Lion King. Pam worked side by side with the Disney animators as they drew the sassy, cheeky character that became the much-loved Timon.  

Also located in Morongo Valley is the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve.  This desert oasis is one of the largest cottonwood and willow riparian habitats in California.  The lush vegetation of Big Morongo stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding desert.  A high water table in the canyon has made the growth of tall trees possible, despite being in a desert.  The area is of botanical interest because it includes two desert vegetation zones:  the Mojave and the Sonoran.  Mule deer, bighorn sheep, raccoons, bobcats, coyotes and kangaroo rats all call the preserve home.