Meerkats live in tight cooperative social groups with complex sentinel and foraging behavior. Zoo welfare depends on maintaining group cohesion and foraging complexity.
Meerkat welfare in zoos depends critically on maintaining the social cohesion and foraging complexity of their wild group structure. The species' alarm calls, sentinel rotation, and cooperative pup rearing all require appropriate group size and dynamics. Foraging enrichment that requires active searching and digging provides both behavioral satisfaction and physical exercise.