15 Animals Who Invented Social Distancing
‘Red pandas tend to interact only for mating purposes’—actually, that sounds ideal right now
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Getting stuck in a Wikipedia rabbit hole — clicking from page to page as you absorb layers of information you didn’t anticipate wanting in the first place — is a true simple pleasure of modern life. It was one such Wikipedia browsing session that inspired this list; in turn, as well as hopefully making you smile, I’ve linked to the pages of each animal to spur on your own perusal should you be staying home for reasons of public safety, and needing a low-stakes diversion to occupy yourself.
As always, we have so much to learn from the animal kingdom — here are fifteen creatures who are all about the isolation.
1. The Golden Mole of South Africa
These burrowing animals are fierce loners, “live almost exclusively underground,” and will defend their turf from visitors if need be.
2. The Little Tinamou
This bird of Central and South America is notably “shy, secretive and solitary.”
3. The Jaguar
Wikipedia doesn’t mince words: these cats just “generally avoid each other.”
4. The Chinese Muntjac
The muntjac is a “solitary and crepuscular” species of small deer — and though Wikipedia won’t tell you this, it’s also extremely adorable.
