When we see a flock of geese, a pod of whales or a herd of horses, it’s often too easy to get caught up in the beauty of the group as a whole. But each individual in their respective groups matter, and matter in a big way!

In a recent National Geographic article, three groups of Africa’s residents (lions, elephants and rhinos) are explored to unearth how individuals in each of these groups matter.

In first talking about lions, Dereck Joubert, Founder of the Big Cats Initiative, explains that, “If we just consider the hunt, at first, lions within a pride have different strengths. For example, some consistently circle down a left flank (or right) when circling prey. This proves they are individuals and they have different skills.” Furthermore, due to the different skills that lions each have, if one of the members is killed by poachers or dies, this weakens the skill set of the entire pride, affecting not only each individual but the group itself. For lions, the lives of each individual truly mean life or death for the others.

The next animal species explored was elephants. Rob Brandford, Executive Director of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, notes that, “Family is all-important to elephants and the death of a family member has effects on the structure of the herd, particularly if this is the matriarch, as the younger members rely so heavily on her guidance.” This is yet another example of how the death of one member can be detrimental to the rest.

The last animal species represented was white rhinos. Bonné de Bod, Presenter and Producer of STROOP, explains what they had witnessed of two rhinos taking a mud bath together. While watching, there “was clear communication between them before one left [the mud] — a high-pitched dolphin-like sound that rhinos make — echoed in the dry air. It was wonderful to see how they relate to each other. How a decision was being communicated. This to me indicates the close family structure of rhinos and the importance and consideration of each individual within a group.”

The importance of communicating to each other and consideration of each other shows the linkages between individuals. This as well is an example of how individuals look out for others within their groups.

We know that these are just a few ways in which individual animals matter in the world. Can you think of ways that individual animals make a positive difference in each others’ lives?

For more information on how these African animals (and all animals by extension) matter read on here.