I know I lost the 'comfy cushion' bet, but can I please get up now?: Meerkats use their mate as a backrest

By Daily Mail Reporter

Meer-ly a backrest: Tourists at Taronga Zoo, in Sydney, Australia, watched in amusement when two meerkats used a fellow meerkat as a cushion


Need a comfy cushion to sit on to enjoy the afternoon sun? Simples!
This cheeky pair spotted a fellow meerkat dozing - and thought it was the perfect chance to secure themselves a comfortable backrest.

The unfortunate animal was lying down on its front when the opportunistic pair pinned him down against a wall.

The pinned down meerkat turned over and struggled for a while but then accepted its fate as it tired.

Then, using their friend as a cushion, the victorious mammals kicked back themselves and soaked up some rays.

The remarkable image was captured by 73-year-old photographer Charlie Summers at Taronga Zoo, in Sydney, Australia.

He said: 'The one who was pinned down was originally lying on its belly and one of the other ones was sitting next to it but on its haunches.

'Then all of a sudden the meerkat leaned back, pinning the prone one to the ground.
'As the prone animal struggled to get out of this predicament, another spied the situation and came over.

'It sat right next to the seated meerkat and joined in with the pin.'

Father-of-one Charlie, who watched with his wife Rita, said the meerkat on the bottom of the pile struggled at first before giving up.

He added: 'The unfortunate meerkat on the bottom struggled a bit and turned over but then seemed to accept its fate.

'It did struggle a bit but not to the point where it appeared it had made up its mind to escape.

'I certainly don't think the prone meerkat "volunteered" for the job.

'I have observed these animals on and off since 1980 and I have never seen behaviour this before - it was hard to take the picture because I was laughing so much.'


source :dailymail