Tribal meerkats

There are few animals that work as well together as meerkats. These squirrel-size members of the mongoose family live in groups of different sizes, from as little as three to as many as 50. Together they build up to five separate burrows with multiple entrances, tunnels, and rooms.

While the rest of the mob forages the desert or grassland for beetles, caterpillars, spiders, scorpions, small reptiles, birds, eggs, fruit and plants, one of the meerkats (or sometimes more), called a sentry, will find a high point, like a termite mound, and perch on its back legs to scan the sky and ground for predators--eagles, hawks and jackals. This duty rotates to different members of the mob, and a sitter will often go all day without food. A sentry who senses danger will let out a high-pitched squeal, sending the mob scrambling for cover. 

But the babysitters' main job is to protect pups from meerkats in rival mobs who, if given the chance, will kill the babies.