Until today it was known that young meerkats learn to hunt by observing adults, but a British study shows that meerkats actively teach this
It is not about algebra or physics, but mongooses have been observed teaching the younger generation, something that is not common among animals in the wild. While the young of many species learn by observing the older members of their group, it is less common to see adults taking direct action whose entire purpose is to teach.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have observed MEERKAT, a species of mongoose living in Africa, teaching young meerkats how to catch and eat their victims, according to a new study conducted in the UK. This is the first study to scientifically demonstrate that animals have complex behavior that can teach. Animals have always been known to be able to learn from observing others. The British researchers said that the meerkats actively teach other meerkats how to do this according to clear principles.
For example, the adult meerkats bite the sting from the scorpions they hunt, then they will pass the scorpion on to a younger meerkat for her to kill and eat it, and if the father fails in his task - the young meerkat will come to him and bully him until she learns the job. Mature meerkats, not necessarily the parents, will watch over the young to see how they are progressing. The researchers, who examined 13 such groups, learned that meerkats have distinct ways of learning. The adult meerkats do not allow the young to learn by observation alone and "force" them to act practically.
This is a species of mongoose that lives in groups of three to 40 individuals in the arid regions of South Africa. Each such group includes a male and a female "ruler" who are responsible for the birth of 80% of the members of the group. They feed on animals and insects that are difficult to hunt, such as grasshoppers and various varieties of scorpions, including poisonous scorpions.
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