Meerkats are cooperative breeders with complex social structures, and captive breeding success depends on understanding and supporting their natural social organization.
Meerkat welfare in zoos is strongly influenced by social group composition and management. Because meerkats live in cooperative breeding groups with clear social roles, mismatched captive groupings — too many unrelated adults, or groupings that prevent natural hierarchy formation — produce chronic social conflict and stress. Welfare-positive management involves creating stable groups with appropriate age and sex ratios, providing environments that allow territorial marking and digging, ensuring UV-B exposure for health, and monitoring social interactions closely during the introduction of new individuals or breeding attempts. Breeding success in captivity is strongly associated with welfare quality — stressed groups breed poorly. Zoos that manage meerkat social dynamics skillfully both achieve conservation goals and provide genuine positive welfare.