I know I am a few years too late, but I saw this picture recently and agree that this emotional dedication seemed a little odd for an animal like a meerkat.
After some research, I found out that the meerkat that the plaque is dedicated to was apparently famous for being documented on a TV show on Animal Planet called Meerkat Manor. Here is a brief description of the series I found online:
A family of meerkats is tracked and filmed, providing first-rate entertainment with a blend of animal documentary footage and dramatic narration, as members eke out a survival in the brutal surroundings of Africa's Kalahari Desert. Underground cameras give viewers a never-before-seen glimpse into the animals' dens. Action mostly centered on the Whiskers family, with its matriarch Flower and later, her daughter, Rocket Dog.
