JACKSON, Wyo. — The one day of the year dedicated to love is right around the corner, folks. To celebrate, Buckrail has compiled a list of critters in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) that are particularly romantic, and opt to mate for life.
According to the National Wildlife Foundation (NWF), sandhill cranes, ravens and beavers are among those that mate for life. Swans also typically make the lifelong commitment, as do coyotes — they even grieve when their partner dies, according to National Geographic.
Sandhill cranes, for example, will seek out a mate before their annual migration. The male crane will perform an elaborate dance and, once selected, the two will stay together until one of the pair dies.
Coyotes typically mate for life and grieve their deceased partners. “After the death of a mate, [coyotes] exhibit clear behavioral and brain changes, which researchers hope may help explain how stress and loss affect other long-term, pair-bonded species — including humans,” National Geographic shared in an Instagram post.
According to the Wyoming Wetland Society, swans pair up long-term as well, and develop shared parenting skills as they grow older. When one dies, the surviving swan will often pair up with another, if possible.
The beaver is another critter familiar to Jacksonites. Mated beaver pairs, according to the NWF, raise their children in colonies they build together. After about two years their progeny move out to find their own partners. Beavers can “have up to 20 years of marital bliss,” according to the NWF.
Ravens, which may not initially spark thoughts of GYE, nevertheless live in the area and also mate for life. They show devotion by grooming one another, and if a raven loses its partner, it will recreate its partner’s call, devastatingly, to try to find them.
So, dear Buckrail readers, it turns out that humans are not the only animal out there capable of romance, and pair bonding is far from specific to the human condition.
