Meerkats catching the morning sun, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Africa (Image Source/Getty Images)

Meerkats are as selfless as they are adorable, study suggests

2/6/2013

Meerkats are renowned for standing up on their hind legs to keep watch for predators, then calling out to their buddies if they spot any dangers. Research conducted by England's University of Cambridge observed that meerkats "showed a sudden increase in their vigilance behavior" when pups joined their foraging groups. This suggests they don't just stand guard for their own individual benefit, with the group's increased safety being a lucky side effect — but that the group's increased safety is the main reason for their predator-scanning behavior. So meerkats aren't only cute. They're also downright decent critters. [Source]

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