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Posted On: November 2nd 2026, 09:00 am
๐๐ Deer rides, piggyback games and unlikely friendships ๐ท๐ฆ
A new global study led by the University of Oxford has documented 427 cases of primates forming cross-species friendships, from Japanese macaques grooming sika deer to a young snub-nosed monkey playing on a pig's back and a silverback gorilla cradling a tiny bushbaby.
Published in the journal Primates, the review spans five decades of evidence and 204 distinct species pairings, with dogs appearing again and again alongside rhesus macaques.
What's striking is that these bonds don't seem to offer obvious survival advantages. The animals simply play, groom and rest together, suggesting genuine curiosity and social flexibility that reaches beyond species boundaries.
The researchers say these behaviours may be early evolutionary building blocks for the caregiving instincts and cross-species companionship that define our own relationship with animals, with real implications for conservation and animal welfare.
Read the full story ๐
https://happyeconews.com/primates-forming-cross-species-friendships/
#MaryRobinsonCentre #AnimalWelfare #Primates #Biodiversity #Conservation #HumanAnimalBond #Nature #Wildlife #Research #SocialBehaviour
A new global study led by the University of Oxford has documented 427 cases of primates forming cross-species friendships, from Japanese macaques grooming sika deer to a young snub-nosed monkey playing on a pig's back and a silverback gorilla cradling a tiny bushbaby.
Published in the journal Primates, the review spans five decades of evidence and 204 distinct species pairings, with dogs appearing again and again alongside rhesus macaques.
What's striking is that these bonds don't seem to offer obvious survival advantages. The animals simply play, groom and rest together, suggesting genuine curiosity and social flexibility that reaches beyond species boundaries.
The researchers say these behaviours may be early evolutionary building blocks for the caregiving instincts and cross-species companionship that define our own relationship with animals, with real implications for conservation and animal welfare.
Read the full story ๐
https://happyeconews.com/primates-forming-cross-species-friendships/
#MaryRobinsonCentre #AnimalWelfare #Primates #Biodiversity #Conservation #HumanAnimalBond #Nature #Wildlife #Research #SocialBehaviour
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