An international group of scientists found that red deer have different personalities. This might sound like a minor find, but it can be very important for the welfare of the species.
For humans, as well as for plenty of other animals, we already discovered the presence of personalities. A consistent set of behaviours that is different between one and another individual. From elephants to chimpanzees and whales, one can’t say they all behave the same.
The scientists now could discover a personality trait among the red deers that is linked to dominance, confidence/aggressiveness, which is not shown in the same way by each individual.
Now why is this important? Plenty of species, including red deer, are housed in captivity and semi-captivity. In order to match their needs, it is important if personality can be taken into account, a practice that is becoming more and more common for a range of species. This way, their management can be based on their own personality, improving their animal welfare.
*Source: Esattore et al. (2021). “How not to judge a deer by its cover”: A personality assessment study on captive adult red deer males. Behavioural Processes 186.
Animal Behaviour Facts 