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quote:Meerkat pups do not learn how to eat dangerous animals such as scorpions on their own, scientists have discovered; they are taught by adults. Researchers found that adults bring dead animals to the youngest pups. As pups get older, helpers disable live prey for them; finally they coax the youngsters to hunt for themselves. Writing in the journal Science, the scientists suggest meerkats are only the second non-human animal species found to teach its young actively. The only other clear demonstration of teaching behaviour in species other than Homo sapiens is, they say, the finding reported earlier this year that ants can help their fellows locate food.