• Strong social networking plays an important role in human relationships. • New research on female red deer shows that those bonds are also crucial for their reproductive success and survival. • The study, which looked at more than 40 years of data for free-ranging adult female red deer on the Isle of Rum in Scotland, was recently published in Royal Society Open Science.
Article Summaries:
- New research published in Royal Society Open Science shows that strong mother‑daughter bonds in female red deer significantly boost both adult survival and calf survival. Using over 40 years of field data from free‑ranging deer on Scotland’s Isle of Rum, scientists found that females with close maternal ties lived longer and produced more surviving offspring than those with weaker bonds. The study highlights the importance of social networking in wildlife, mirroring its well‑documented role in human relationships. These findings suggest that fostering close maternal relationships may be key to sustaining red deer populations.
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