The short lecture presents two current research projects: The Meerkat Cognition Project investigates inter-individual variation across four major factors: sociality, intrinsic motivation, cognitive abilities and fitness. In particular, it focuses on how these factors emerge during early development and how they interlink with each other. Since vervet monkeys also thrive in urban ecosystems, the Urban Vervet Project studies the cognitive causes and consequences of urbanization and how the monkeys use cognitive flexibility to thrive in these transformed habitats. Beyond filling a lacking scientific niche, these findings also inform human-wildlife conflict management across Africa.