[Press Release] Drones Reveal How Feral Horse Units Keep Boundaries

Release Summary

How do feral horses maintain inter-group boundaries in an open field without territories? Researchers used drones to observe groups in Portugal. They discovered that horses actively shift group shape to maintain inter-group spacing in shared spaces. Randomization analysis confirmed this avoidance was not random but likely to be intentional. However, a unique "friendly pair" of groups was found frequently mixing, suggesting a rare social bond.

For Details (Eurekalert!)

• Title: Spatial Strategies in Non-Territorial Societies: How Feral Horses Maintain Boundaries with Other Groups
• Authors: Maeda T, Inoue S, Ringhofer M, Hirata S, Yamamoto S
• Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society B
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.2468

• Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science
• Integrative Evolutionary Science