Meerkat

Meerkats are small, highly intelligent South African animals, and a member of the mongoose family.

The Real World
In the wild, meerkats live in tigh-knit families called clans, mobs, or gangs, of around 25 or 30. The clan is run by a dominant female, with the dominant male just below her in rank. They are the only meerkats in the clan aloud to breed. Meerkats reside in underground burrows, where they sleep and raise the dominant female's babies, known as 'pups'.

The Lion King World
In The Lion King 1½, meerkats are shown to be somewhat self-loathing, but they still work together in their clans. Timon is the most important meerkat in The Lion King, helping to raise young Simba along with Pumbaa.

Trivia

 * The meerkats in The Lion King universe are anthropomorphic, as they walk on two legs when meerkats can only stand on their hind legs.
 * A real meerkat from the Fellow Earthlings Wildlife Center was the model for Timon.
 * The tails of the meerkats in The Lion King stay rigid, while a real meerkat's tail is very flexible.
 * The meerkats in TLK have ears that are nothing like those of real meerkats, and, according to Pam Wallberg (who runs FEWC) this is because the animators said "This is Disney, we're about ears."