If there’s one thing we’ve missed during the pandemic, that’s definitely human contact. We are sociable beings and, as such, we like to hug our loved ones to comfort us and feel protected. However, have you ever wondered if animals hug each other like people?
What is a hug?
To answer this question, we would first have to define what a hug is. From a human point of view, hugging occurs when someone wraps their arms around another person. This obviously restricts hugging to arm animals (primarily primates). Thus, the researchers were able to quickly discover that hugs are just as important in the lives of some primates.
Hugs of comfort
According to Zanna Clay, a primatologist at the University of Durham (United Kingdom), bonon pups (pan paniscus) hug each other while they sleep and walk together. This is because there are many orphan calves that need reassurance and protection, which is why they do ‘the hug walk’. This is, according to the primatologist, hugging and walking as if it were a little train.
This behavior is more common in a sanctuary than in the wild, probably because bonobos are exposed to hugs from their human caretakers. However, according to the researcher, it also occurs in its natural habitat and is much more common among young primates.
Thus, sometimes bonobos who are distressed or have experienced conflict stretch their arms, while another bonobo quickly approaches to surround you with a big hug. “A bonobo could ask for a hug, so they could look for someone and ask for help, or someone could offer them one,” said the researcher.
Beyond the primates
Hugs in primates are easy to recognize because they look like ours. However, hugs may work differently for other species. For example, horses groom each other, and studies show that this activity slows their heart rate. In birds, on the other hand, grooming between pairs is believed to increase social ties.
Lions rub their heads and caress their noses, increasing their social connections. And on the other hand, hundreds of species (especially mammals) huddle together to provide comfort and warmth, or to form a united front against danger. Meanwhile, the dolphins rub their fins to apologize after a fight.
Therefore, after the stress caused by the pandemic, we could say that animals also recognize hugs and that they have many equivalents in our animal companions. In fact, anywhere in the world there are species that perform acts of comfort and that protect each other in the most difficult moments.
