Meerkats are highly social cooperative breeders whose welfare depends on maintaining stable family groups and providing appropriate habitat complexity.
Meerkat welfare in captivity depends critically on social group stability and exhibit complexity. Groups that are too small cannot maintain natural cooperative breeding dynamics, while those in small enclosures without retreat spaces suffer from inescapable dominance aggression. Sandy substrate for digging, multiple sentinel positions at different heights, foraging enrichment including insect-stuffed logs and buried food items, and sufficient space to express foraging activity all contribute to positive welfare states. The sentinel behavior — standing upright to scan for predators — is a reliable positive welfare indicator when expressed regularly in captive groups.