Meerkats are known for their close-knit family groups, but one of their most fascinating traits is how adults actively teach survival skills to the young.
Rather than relying purely on instinct, meerkat pups learn through carefully guided experiences that prepare them for real threats in the wild.
Adult meerkats gradually introduce their young to potentially dangerous prey and situations in a controlled way.
This step-by-step teaching method allows pups to build confidence, recognise risks, and develop essential hunting skills without being exposed to unnecessary danger too early.
By observing this behaviour, researchers have gained valuable insight into how learning, communication, and cooperation shape survival strategies in social animals.
This article is for general knowledge only and is based on information from online sources.
Wildlife behaviour can vary by environment and circumstance.
Always observe wild animals from a safe distance and follow guidance from conservation authorities.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only.
Starting With Deceased Scorpions
Adult meerkats begin their teaching curriculum with the safest possible introduction to dangerous prey.
They bring completely dead scorpions back to the burrow for their youngest pups to examine and explore without any risk of injury.
This allows the babies to become familiar with the smell, texture, and appearance of scorpions in a controlled environment.
The pups can poke, prod, and even taste these harmless specimens while building their confidence.
This foundation is critical because scorpions are a common food source in their habitat, but their venomous stings can be deadly.
Parents essentially create a risk-free classroom where curiosity is encouraged and mistakes have no consequences.
Removing The Sting
Once pups show comfort with dead prey, adults move to the next level by bringing disabled scorpions.
The teaching meerkats carefully bite off or disable the scorpion’s venomous tail, removing the primary weapon while keeping the creature alive.
This creates a moving target that behaves naturally but cannot cause harm.
Pups must now engage with something that scurries and reacts, making the lesson more realistic.
The scorpion may still pinch with its claws, teaching youngsters to be cautious and strategic in their approach.
This middle stage bridges the gap between completely safe practice and real-world danger, building essential reflexes and hunting techniques gradually.
Introducing Live Prey
After mastering disabled scorpions, pups face their biggest challenge: fully intact, live scorpions with functioning stingers.
Adults monitor these sessions closely, ready to intervene if necessary, but they allow the young meerkats to take the lead.
The pups must apply everything they’ve learned about speed, precision, and defensive manoeuvres.
This final stage happens only when adults determine the youngsters are ready, showing how meerkats assess individual progress.
Some pups advance faster than others, and parents adjust their teaching accordingly.
By facing real danger under supervision, young meerkats gain the confidence and skills needed to hunt independently and feed themselves throughout their lives.
Age-Appropriate Lessons
Meerkat parents don’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach when teaching their young.
They carefully observe each pup’s development and adjust the difficulty of lessons based on age and demonstrated ability.
Younger pups receive only dead prey, while older, more experienced ones get increasingly challenging assignments.
Research has shown that adults can distinguish between pups of different ages and skill levels, tailoring their instruction accordingly.
A four-week-old pup might receive a completely harmless scorpion, while its eight-week-old sibling gets a partially disabled one.
This personalized education system ensures that no pup is overwhelmed or underprepared, maximizing learning while minimizing risk of injury during the crucial developmental period.
Sentinel Training And Vigilance
Beyond hunting skills, young meerkats must learn the critical job of acting as sentinels, the lookouts who watch for predators while others forage.
Adults take turns standing upright on high points, scanning the horizon for eagles, jackals, and other threats.
Pups observe this behaviour from their earliest days and gradually participate as they mature.
Sentinel duty requires intense focus and the ability to recognize different types of danger quickly.
Young meerkats practice standing upright, learn the various alarm calls for different predators, and understand when to alert the group.
This cooperative defence system keeps the entire colony safe, and every member must master it to contribute to the community’s survival.
Call Recognition And Response
Meerkats use a sophisticated system of vocalizations to communicate different types of danger, and pups must learn to interpret these alarm calls correctly.
Adults produce distinct sounds for aerial predators like hawks versus ground threats like snakes, and each call demands a different response.
A young meerkat’s survival depends on instant recognition and appropriate reaction.
Parents repeatedly expose their young to these calls in various contexts, reinforcing the correct responses.
When an aerial alarm sounds, pups must dive for cover or freeze, while a ground predator call might send them scrambling up the nearest tree or into a burrow.
This auditory education happens constantly throughout the day, creating automatic responses that could mean the difference between life and death.
Group Cooperation Skills
Survival in a meerkat colony depends on seamless teamwork, and adults actively teach pups how to function within the group structure.
Young meerkats learn to take turns, share food discoveries, participate in grooming sessions, and support one another during foraging expeditions.
These social skills are as vital as hunting abilities.
Adults model cooperative behaviour constantly, showing pups how to work together to dig for insects, mob potential predators as a group, and care for even younger colony members.
Pups who fail to cooperate may find themselves excluded from certain activities until they learn proper social conduct.
This emphasis on community prepares young meerkats for a lifetime of interdependence within their tight-knit family groups.
Active Teaching Behaviour
What makes meerkat parenting truly remarkable is that it represents genuine teaching, not just instinct or imitation.
Adults deliberately modify their behaviour based on what their pupils need to learn, demonstrating one of the clearest examples of active teaching in the animal kingdom.
They invest time and energy into education rather than simply letting pups figure things out independently.
This intentional instruction involves assessment, adjustment, and patience as adults guide youngsters through progressively difficult challenges.
Scientists have documented how teaching meerkats will even demonstrate proper scorpion-handling techniques, showing pups exactly how to approach and disable prey.
Such dedicated mentorship ensures high survival rates among young meerkats and strengthens the entire colony’s long-term success.
