system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How do animals know that they should perform certain behaviours, even if never shown by their parents/peers?

For example, my rabbit was kept in a hutch from birth separated from the mother. And as soon as I took her home and allowed her to run in my backyard under supervision, the very first thing she did was start digging a burrow. How did she know to do that? She had never, ever been shown to do that by any other rabbit.
gpt
All organisms have certain instincts or reactions built into their biology.

This is why, within reason, animals and plants will always exhibit characteristic behaviours when given the opportunity.

It's very literally in their genes. They simply learn faster and potentially more effective ways to use those instincts (for sentient creatures) if they witness another creature exhibiting the behaviour.