The power of one
Lockdown reminds us how social we are, yet many species favour a solitary life. Lucy Cooke explores how and why going solo can be a winning evolutionary strategy.
We humans are a supremely social species, but the coronavirus pandemic has forced many of us into solitary confinement.
It feels like an unnatural, regressive move, that goes against our collective nature. So why do some species embrace the power of one? And how do they make a success of a solo existence?
Lucy Cooke meets some of the animal kingdom’s biggest loners - from the Komodo Dragon, to the Okapi and the Black Rhino - to explore the lure of solitude.
Producer: Beth Eastwood
Picture: Okapi (Okapia johnstoni), forest giraffe or zebra giraffe, Credit: Jiri Hrebicek/Getty Images
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- Mon 8 Feb 202120:32GMTBBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview, News Internet, Europe and the Middle East & Online only
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- Mon 15 Feb 202100:32GMTBBC World Service
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