What's a Meerkat's Favourite Food? | BBC Earth

Meerkats are surprisingly picky with their food, and only like their eggs well done. Narrated by David Attenborough.
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Natural World: Meerkats - The Secrets Of An Animal Superstar
These furry celebrities are part of the longest running study of animal behaviour ever. Discover the experiments that have enabled scientists to understand their social lives.
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[@eviltwinnumber2]

this dude really smashed open an egg straight on his head lol

[@qwertyTRiG]

eviltwinnumber2 I've done that myself with hard boiled eggs; not with raw!

[@Silkendrum]

He crumbled a hard boiled egg on his hat. Not the same thing at all.

[@Silkendrum]

someawe -- At 1:31 he cracked the egg against his head, not "smashed open an egg straight on his head". Big difference. Words do matter.

[@LCbabyxO]

eviltwinnumber2 haha loved it

[@BothHands1]

Craziness, you could see he regretted it after, while he was wiping egg goo on his hat. Thinking "I probably could have done that more gracefully, at the very least" LOL

[@FlintSparkedStudios]

And then we tried raw ostrich eggs. *smashes against his skull and faints*

[@khalidalkhalid2639]

FlintSparked no it will hurt but he will no faint

[@autumnleaves5419]

😂

[@LordOfMkuze]

😅😅😅😅😅 You’re evil

[@striped_sponge7187]

Smashing!!

[@Kyle_765]

Lmaoo

[@chronoflect]

Pretty surprising they didn't even try any of the test food.

[@Silkendrum]

I thought the bugs would be a big hit.

[@critterfreek83]

Which is odd, because captive meerkats love mealworms.

[@Goddesswolf]

They never grew up with those kinds of food, so they don’t see it as that. The mealworms did confuse me though.

[@aprioriontoast704]

Very odd they turned their noses up against the mealworms considering in the wild they love bugs

[@themagnoliaproject864]

@@aprioriontoast704 Yes but mealworms arent even in the top 5 of their favorite foods in the wild. Spiders, snails, rodents, birds, eggs, lizards, and scorpions are. They generally would let a worm live in order to find something that has more substance, unless they are starving.

[@jameretief8327]

That egg cooking in the sun gives you an idea of how hot that sun is.

[@NoName-vy8vu]

Thank you for the valuable insight.

[@NathanChisholm041]

Not even close to the real heat and power of the Sun!

[@theklobbahking9387]

Y'know Pumba, I love eating bugs and singing like the next guy, but you know what I love even more? EGGS!

[@annapaula290]

Fun fact: there's a TLK graphic novel with a story called "Keeper of the Egg" in which Timon goes crazy about a big egg he finds

[@annapaula290]

@Mullerornis Didn't know that graphic novel was inspired by the remake. Is there more of them?

[@annapaula290]

@Mullerornis Oh yeah, I remember, they're in the same book. But aside from that book, are there other ones?

[@ladisneyprincesse]

Mullerornis Eggstasyyyyy

[@Cygnus0lor]

Boiled eggs

[@zozidedodo780]

0:45 this worm just won the lottery

[@lawrencecarr4973]

I know right 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@KittySYT]

Meerkats: These humans think that they can buy us with some food?! Oh, boiled eggs!! Sure. 🌚

[@Jishan2511]

Yesssss! It's David attenborough again narrating!!!!!! so nice to listen and watch without a blink. Nature + David attenborough = beautiful combination.

[@terrance3218]

I hear you on that one. I accept no other narrator.

[@liltone9614]

Any nature programme needs to have David Attenborough or else I’m not watching it

[@juliorodriguez1634]

He’s got awesome narrating skillz 😎🙌🏼

[@samwright285]

Agree

[@msavetho]

The best

[@Pumpkintiti]

They are so.....stinkin adorable. WOW that aren't afraid of human contact. They seem friendly. Would love the opportunity to touch them.

[@daisymay6505]

It’s an over 11 year study they are entirely used to humans

[@sebastiandouse]

Yeah they been filming the same colony of meerkats called the Whiskers for so long that they now know the camera crew and people who study them. I remember watching the show Meerkat Manor a very long time ago which is about the Whiskers and I am glad their colony is still around.

[@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas]

In my opinion its not good , this way if they used to humans some bad people can kill them easily... i mean not everyoneis researchers (sorry for my bad English)

[@RoulicisThe]

It's not because they recognise some people that they'll be friendly to all of them. We are all very different, and these animals use smell to recognise each other. If somebody they don't know were to come near their nest, they'll know right away it's not one of their friendly neighbours

[@sebastiandouse]

@@HolyShitItsHim1 Yeah it is possibly their colony (there is a few other colonies they film as well), but I am pretty sure all the original meerkats have died by now since Meerkat Manor was filmed many years ago and meerkats do not live very long considering how hostile their environment is. If you have Amazon Prime then you can watch Meerkat Manor on Prime video.

[@saurabhprabhakarsingh5666]

Meerkats : Listen guys... BBC is filming us so don't act like a greedy.... Be a good boi... 😜 😜 😜

[@lindamclellan6113]

Loved Meerkat Manor!! Cried when Flower died. Amazing little creatures.

[@MrDougster37]

David Attenborough: The man, the myth, the legend. Well done as always, good sir.

[@aprioriontoast704]

Every so often I google him to make sure he's still alive

[@sleeepybae1459]

omg they're so cute especially when they stand!!! i love these lil guys

[@alexisgrunden1556]

I knew that skunks and beaded lizards went gaga for eggs (quickest way to make a new friend!) but I had no idea that meerkats loved hard-boiled and sunny-side up! 😂😂😂 Why does this make me love these little creatures even more~?

[@susie154]

What a blessing to be able to interact with these adorable creatures 👍

[@DeborahKeleman]

They're the cutest little guys!

[@phillipmele8533]

I guess when I think about it, it isn’t really surprising that the ground is hot enough to literally fry an egg.

[@dahabizizy]

The way he smashed the egg on his head😂😂

[@femcelgirlfren]

I just got fired from my job and I’m watching meerkat videos on KZbin to cheer myself up

[@Mcthindi]

Did type this in every you tube video"i got fired'

[@claudiaphilippe5655]

I hope things have gotten better for you.

[@crazyfx5242]

They are so adorable! I love how they just go up to them and not run!!

[@scuzzbecuzz]

Love those meerkats!!! They are fascinating!

[@stellaartois303]

Everyone loves boiled eggs 😊

[@padmavatimajhi8541]

Hard boiled eggs are always yummm😋

[@da8874]

Exactly what I should be watching at 2:00am

[@cattameme]

I like how theyre helping them instead of watching them die.

[@misspinkpunkykat]

Same people responsible for this Kalahari meerkat project are the same people behind Meerkat Manor. They did Jack schitt when the meerkats died even if it was a preventable death. Such as when a baby meerkat baked to death in the heat when the one meerkat who was brain damaged drug it out of the nest. You think they could have moved it aside and put it in the shade or get in touch with a wildlife rescue group. But nope. They just filmed it dying.

[@heulkrampfer]

@@misspinkpunkykat Don't go overboard, young miss. It's the way nature treats all living beeings, kill or be killed. We just erase it from the records to refine our species.

[@phuonghoang1161]

“We tried everything we could find” *proceeds to bring 6 types of food* 😂

[@margotrosendorn6371]

Literally sunny side up! 😂

[@eventhorizon8014]

He put the food right on their toilet spot.. you can see all their dumpings infront of it. 0:52

[@uegk-zb9xp]

Toilet spot😹

[@applecore323]

They got great taste. I love boiled eggs too!!! Raw and runny eggs are icky.

[@nicolakelly8906]

They are so cute

[@eastatlanta5053]

I bet they got some foul farts 😂😂

[@kellieo.6983]

David Attenborough would make an awesome Biology professor.

[@TheRealOAFs]

Meerkat Manor is returning in 2021

[@michaelcrockis7679]

What a fantastic occupation!

[@missthang4982]

Meerkat Manor was EVERYTHING! By gawd I miss that series. Three seasons is not enough Cambridge. More please 🙏? ....Pretty please? With love and respect from, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

[@MuhammadEgypt]

I enjoyed this video very much. I could watch an hour more.

[@mariialanovenko477]

replay em

[@mwall8687]

I love a good boiled egg as well

[@intellectualblackking162]

Lmao he could’ve easily smashed the egg on the ground 😂😂😂

[@alfonsoalonzo]

First off props to the lad wmfor smashing an egg on his head in the name of science second its bannas that its actually hot enough to cook an egg

[@goudjomichel]

Nah that's some boujie merkats, the real ones would have cleaned the food. 🤣

[@MariePriss]

😂😂😂😂

[@hellosunshine305]

THAT MAN JUST WENT ALL IN AND CRACKED THAT EGG ON HIS HEAD

[@mckaylasmith4435]

I want to work with animals in the wild like this 😭

[@hoomanAdnan]

Me too 😪

[@sabdevera24]

Sadly, you're not supposed to pet them or feed them. Idk abt meerkats tho. But most of the animals in the wild shouldn't be pet or fed by researchers, photographers or scientists.. Wild animals shouldn't see humans as food banks or smth like that

[@musictouch9184]

Studying animals behavior is most difficult as well as interesting work.

[@cornspoons]

u know he's living the life when he has an egg cracking hat.

[@vikramthakurpbh]

I love the meerkats when i was in childhood... so you guys are doing really good job 👍

[@treborironwolfe978]

Meerkats are just too friggin adorable to be so damn smart. P.S. That logbook displayed with the fried egg bookmark.. beautimus.

[@lightavenaethervis9026]

I wonder if they would go nuts with a little bit of garlic salt added to the boiled eggs.

[@anonymousstout4759]

KZbin 2 am: what is meerkat's favourite food??..... Nice question!!

[@paulinodoamazonas4248]

Adorables animalitos .

[@koyo3406]

The baby meerkat at 2:41 😍😍 #animalloveforever

[@nelodon2317]

Those cats are so tiny. I thought they looked bigger

[@TheGunnCat]

This is one of the greatest things on earth.

[@sabzalikhan]

Who else thinks that BBC earth is following meerkat for the last two weeks@meerkat😺

[@musicnature4]

Secret of Animal!

[@HowToChangeName]

They acts like my cat, sniff the food I gave and try to snatch what am I eating though its same food

[@Pixpaint1]

"SUUUGAAA SUUGAAA SUUUGAAA!" Only Mandalorian fans will get the reference xD

[@rod2d2rs]

Mana suga. Mani a mana suga!

[@Celestial_Wing]

Meerkats watch Hell Kitchen, so they know better than to eat raw food.

[@MrDigit885]

Man they are quick

[@simplywonderful449]

The meerkats ate a cooked egg? Hey, NOBODY wants samonella!

[@hatimsalim1355]

fussy eaters better than most humans 😂

[@O.Ez8]

Id be watching my back out there in the wild lol

[@Nikohere]

1:45 so satisfying😻💙them crackling sounds

[@joshuag.9341]

Adorable

[@khumbeloramuthaga4440]

Lols, the real Timons. I don't see no Pumbas though🤷‍♂️

[@captainamerica8399]

Timon is a savage

[@SnoopyDoofie]

3:11 Alan, Alan, Alan...Alan...No that's not Alan....Steve, Steve, Steve...

[@GenericName007]

Found it odd they wouldn't eat any of that food. I spent a lot of time watching Meerkat Manor and they seem to emphasize it was always a struggle keeping the group fed. I would think they would munch down on some free food.

[@jellomanlol]

This was cute af

[@Sosa-qv4yc]

I Love how he opens the Egg in 1:33. Like there isnt another way to Open it then crack it on your hat.

[@GameArchiver]

They are specialists so makes sense they would only eat very specific foods.

[@SaraFatima]

Humans in meerkats language: Friendly walking trees.

[@TheYavy]

I wanna hug them

[@BlessedYouTuber]

Two years of trials and failures. Therefore, whatever you do, never give up.

[@meltedvelveetacheesesauce4540]

A real human feeds an army of Timons.💖💙💚

[@richgg2]

So freaking cute!

[@geraldinemichael8183]

They are so cute and intelligent,baie oulik

[@luccifero]

Spent two years just to found out meerkats like boiled eggs.

[@cymaticCS]

Humans start cooking for Meerkats! xD

[@fly3209]

cute they are...

[@NatureWitch]

Awwwe they're so cute! I want to join the project too!

[@lilliew1520]

I love boiled eggs too!

[@hywodnsu]

If you measure the animal on the guys hat with the one eating the boiled egg you'll probably want to buy some car or house insurance.

[@mytymini7641]

Well, I know meerkarts favorite snack is scorpion

[@jeffery8982]

Dude I’m learning so much about meerkats

[@mre053]

Now that’s a discovery! Forget the fossil fish 😂

[@orlandohernandez0908]

I think they work together to put all their eggs in one basket....

[@danylcarreno790]

Cuidar la naturaleza es un trabajo noble...

[@Tony-nl6pf]

Pet meerkat anyone? Multiple, not one.

[@kevinparker461]

I was told a baby seals favourite drink was a Canadian club on the rocks!!!!

[@jaym6501]

BBC animals is the best always

[@Liuhuayue]

It must be a real treat to get a boiled egg in the wild.

[@kuyamongchubby8462]

gets to interact with animals while im right here interacting with impatient human beings😭

[@anonymousperson8259]

This is both cute and worrisome for me, only because I hope those trusting meerkats only run into friendly humans for the rest of their lives. If there was some situation where I had to adopt on, I think they would make adorable pets though. In other news, if the eggs cooked in the he sun, I would love to see if when they stole the eggs from the birds, they cracked them and waited for them to cook. Maybe in their collective experience they began to associate raw eggs with getting sick sometimes...

[@TobyStClair]

More meerkats please

[@Vaudiven]

AWWW now i want a meerkat damnit this is adorable

[@ghyuu3140]

I had clicked hoping they found a way to boil their own eggs

[@dubu999]

Cute

[@flyingpaladin617]

This is how you tame wild animals

[@leonk7568]

Meerkats are to freakin cute!

[@jonpaul9596]

Picky eaters. Lol!