Bonds that border on the romantic are often distinguished as merely human, but within the millions of species, bonds so extraordinary that they span a lifetime can also be observed. Although nature is so rich that there are also those animals that prioritize solitude, far from being governed by the herd instinct. These are some of the most romantic and also the most solitary animals that live on Earth.
Nature’s ultimate goal is always survival, but the beauty behind this is that pursuing it doesn’t always point in the same direction. So many beings cohabiting the planet become the wealth and greatest treasure on Earth, each one with its own peculiarities. For some animals, forming close bonds is synonymous with survival, while for others it is living alone.
Gibbons
The closest relatives to humans that bond for life are gibbons. These species of primates form incredibly close pair bonds; once the female and male mate, they will spend the rest of their lives together. Grooming each other and spending time in their bodies, gibbons are one of the few monogamous primates.
Turtledoves
There’s a reason we call human romantic partners ‘lovebirds’ and that’s because these species of birds mate for life. When the male is captivated by a female, he flies towards her noisily, flapping his wings and emitting a characteristic whistle. He shows off her charms by puffing out her chest and starts moving his head repeatedly. When the female approaches and synchronizes with the male by moving her head in unison, they will be in love for life.
Swans
Swans have also become a universal symbol of love. And the way they swim in pairs with their necks intertwined gives the appearance of forming a heart. But the romance is not just limited to the beautiful appearance of these pristine birds, they truly bond until you tear them apart. The only situation that can cause a mute swan to change partners to mate is its death.
Other romantic animals that bond for life and whose relationships are little known are albatrosses, termites, black vultures, French angelfish and wolves. They are very different from each other, but they share monogamy as a way of survival.
lonely animals
But as we have said, nature does not always pull in the same direction to reach its ultimate goal. Therefore, there are also species of animals that survive better alone. Of course, in most cases they require a partner to mate and, in addition, they must also take care of their young. But they do not usually form binding relationships that keep them together beyond the act of mating itself.
Platypus
One of the most puzzling animals that can exist is the platypus. Not only because of its appearance, which looks like a hybrid between several animals or a bad joke by a taxidermist, as naturalists described it, but because it is one of the loneliest animals that exist. It only has contact with other individuals when the mating season arrives, or when a mother must care for her young.
Polar bears
Something similar happens with those who distinguish themselves by wandering among the great ice of the Arctic alone. They do not live in packs and can only be observed in groups of two or more, when a female takes care of her young. However, they do not form binding bonds and when the mother has taught the little ones what is necessary to survive in the harshness of winter, they part ways forever.
The loneliest turtle
When it comes to loneliness, the crown goes to the tortoise. Being oviparous animals, the females expel their eggs which they then bury in the desert sands never to return. Which means that from birth, little girls experience loneliness first-hand. They must make their way in their ecosystem on their own from an early age. But searching for food and avoiding predators is not easy when it has such a small size; only 2% of offspring reach reproductive adulthood.
Nature has mysterious ways of achieving survival, although there are animals that could be said to border on the romantic, there are other cases of solitary animals where the exclusion of bonds is the best option to preserve the balance of Mother Earth.