5 animals that love eating with company – just like we do

Meerkats are cute animals from Africa. They live in groups called “mobs”, “gangs”, or “clans”, which reach up to 20 members. As meerkats are very small compared to their predators, they understand that their strength is in numbers.

Meerkats have no fat stores so they must hunt for food every day. When they find food, a part of the family start eating, while others stand on guard for them.

Lions and lionesses live together in groups called “prides.” There can be up to 40 members in a pride, which includes multiple lions, around a dozen of lionesses and their cubs. It's actually the lionesses' responsibility to hunt and bring food for the pride. The lions' job is to protect their family.

Once the food is brought home, the lions get to eat first. When they are done, the hunter lionesses eat their part, followed by other lionesses and the cubs.

Flamingo flocks are called “flamboyances.” Each flock consists of 300-350 members. Just like meerkats, flamingos find strength in numbers. The more birds they have in a flock, the safer they feel.

Flamingos eat bugs, crustaceans, and plants they find in the water. While some flamingos are eating, others protect them.

These large majestic creatures eat krill, plankton, and small fish. Humpback whales have a special cooperative eating method called the bubble-net feeding.

Having formed a group, the whales exhale out of their blowholes beneath the surface to create a bubble net and confine schools of small fish inside of it. Once the fish is disoriented and trapped, the whole group simultaneously swims towards the prey with their mouths open.

Vultures feed on dead animals. These scavengers are known as “nature’s cleanup crew”. Some vultures prefer to live in groups of 10 to 12 birds, while others live in colonies that consist of up to 1,000 members. They share their meal not only with other vulture species, but with other scavenger animals as well.