In the wilderness, survival isn’t just about strength. It’s about strategy! Securing food and building nests is a lot easier when you don’t do it alone. In short, having a teammate can be the ultimate difference between survival and extinction.
That’s why cooperation isn’t just a human thing! It’s a whole set of activities that keep animals alive and well, ready for a new day!
Prepare to be amazed by nature’s dream teams that even Team Rocket would be jealous of!
1. Ants
We all know them as hard workers! But they could never do it without a team! They’re like a fast-track office – always in contact, always running fast, always ready for more efficiency!
Ants build, defend, and even farm in perfect harmony! The team spirit with them is always there. When they encounter large gaps in the ground, they build bridges with their bodies, getting hooked on each other, literally.
Imagine being able to rely on someone like that!
2. Honeybees
Just like ants, we know them for all the hard work they do! A cool thing about them is that they have incredible coordination skills.
One thing that we can learn from bees, besides the hard work, is their non-verbal communication style. Wiggle-wiggle in bee language can mean many things – “There’s food there,” or “I love you, honey” or even “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”
If there is an intruder, they don’t really give them honey and milk. Bees actually swarm them and proceed to overheat them with their collective body heat! That’s certainly a strange solution. But hey, it works!
3. Dolphins
Dolphins have teamwork down to a science. Different members of the pod take specific team roles to make sure the missions of the super-secret Dolphin Group are always successful!
When a member is hurt, they immediately have a med squad for that! They send in their Doctor Dolphs, and quickly provide first aid!
Their hunting strategies are also team-oriented! For example, they turn prey into a literal toy to entertain each other with! Kind of like a bunch of dudes gathering to watch the Super Bowl together with a ton of snacks.
4. Wolves
Is it really a surprise that wolves are on this list? I mean, we literally use wolf pack-related idioms and proverbs in everyday speech – lone wolf, alpha, beta, you name it!
They hunt, raise their young, and defend their territories as a team. Even in the face of danger, like a moose or something else wolves fear, they will stick with each other to the end! The pack mentality makes sure that they will do their best in taking down a threat!
5. Orcas
Did you ever look at a photo of an Orca and think: “Okay, that color combo looks like a spy suit.” No? Just me? Come on! They look like a whole military unit when they hunt! Knowing just how well-coordinated they can be when taking down prey makes them even scarier! Similar to the wiggles of bees, they have their way of communicating too!
Their clicks and whistles are like morse code. Orcas teach and give each other ideas on how to eat their next meal most efficiently!
6. Meerkats
Subway engineers? Move aside! Because these small furballs will do your job so much better, and they bring in good company too!
Meerkats have a very clever sentinel system of work – some meerkats have fun digging tunnels, others watch out for distractions, and others can relax and have some snacks.
Imagine having a bunch of supporters like that! Efficiency would go through the roof!