Self-isolating animals: eight species that have mastered social distancing

Marine turtles

Occupying our oceans for more than 100m years, marine turtles are terrific navigators, in some cases swimming hundreds of thousands of miles between feeding and nesting grounds. They prefer to interact or congregate with only one other turtle for short periods for mating or nesting. Spending much of their time at sea, the female turtle will return to the ocean leaving her nest and the eggs within it to develop on their own. Once the hatchlings emerge, they will begin a long solo journey in the ocean where, if they manage to survive, they will remain alone for many years

Photograph: Jurgen Freund/WWF
Blue whales

The largest animals on the planet, blue whales roam the world’s oceans freely, swimming only occasionally in small groups, but more often alone or in pairs. With hearts the size of a Volkswagen Beetle and stomachs built to eat more than 3 tonnes of krill per day, it is the way they communicate with one another that shows their independence. Seeking out a companion during mating periods, these solitary giants call to each other from many miles away, using loud low-pitched moans and whines reaching up to 188 decibels

Photograph: Francisco Viddi/WWF
Snow leopards

Snow leopards are solitary, stealthy predators. The elusive creatures are generally active at dawn and dusk,
and are able to kill prey up to three times their weight. These shy cats are not afraid of living a life alone, patrolling home ranges that can cover up to hundreds of square kilometres. Snow leopards will only usually be seen together during mating season or when a mother is looking after her cubs

Photograph: Sanjog Rai/WWF
Polar bears

Polar bears are the planet’s biggest land-based carnivores and spend most of their days around water and ice – and not a great deal else. The polar bear does not mind living a semi-solitary life. Apart from actively seeking mating partners in the late spring and early summer, and raising cubs, adult polar bears tend to be antisocial. This is highlighted during the mating process. Males seek females by following their scent and, once they’ve found their mate, they are together for about a week before they separate

Photograph: Steven Kazlowski/WWF
Jaguars

Like the snow leopard,
it is mostly a solitary life for jaguars –
until mating season, when a pair can mate up to 100 times a day. Usually land-based hunters, these animals prefer to hunt alone and can be found climbing trees to attack their prey from above. Unlike most other big cats, jaguars also love the water and enjoy going for a swim, sometimes even hunting for fish in rivers or pools – alone, of course

Photograph: Emmanuel Rondeau/WWF
Orangutans

Known for their
distinctive red fur and intelligence,
orangutans
are
semi-solitary
in the wild. They spend most of their time hanging out in trees, moving swiftly through the branches.The overlap of male and female home ranges means orangutans of both sexes encounter each other while travelling and feeding, and may have very brief encounters. Orangutans sometimes gather to feed in large fruiting trees. Adult female orangutans also travel with their offspring, who are dependent on their mothers for about seven years

Photograph: Antara Foto/Reuters
Giant pandas

The charismatic giant panda is generally a solitary and peaceful animal. They are skilful tree climbers and can spend up to 14 hours a day feeding, mainly on bamboo.Giant pandas have a highly developed sense of smell, which assists them in finding a potential mate in the spring, or can be used to avoid direct contact with others.
Like many other solitary animals, they will need to spend time together during the breeding season. After giving birth, females will have a constant companion in their young for 18 months or more

Photograph: Brad Josephs/WWF
Platypus

The native Australian
platypus spends its days eating crustaceans and plants at the bottom of rivers, lakes and streams, or resting in its burrow. With its shy nature, this species is happy leading a solo life.Despite sharing the same body of water at times, these unique, egg-laying mammals will only come together during breeding season or when a mother is nurturing her young

Photograph: Dave Watts/Alamy