Me, myself and I

Mankind may be tribal and sociable by nature, yet the ‘bliss of solitude’—a state previously reserved for hermits— is the key to achieving inner peace

- Laura Parker

IN 2023 Fiona, Britain's loneliest sheep, was rescued from below cliffs in Cromarty in the Highlands of Scotland after spending two years on her own. She has since found socialising with other ewes difficult. Sheep, of course, are naturally flocking animals, but a surprising number of British species live their lives almost entirely alone. The famously cooperative honeybee is, in fact, an exception among its kind. The vast majority of bees—as many as 250 out of the 270 UK species—are solitary, including the delightfully named ashy mining bee (Andrena cineraria), the wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum) and the hairy-footed flower bee (Anthophora plumipes). Solitary bees nest in the ground or in ready-made spaces, such as beetle holes, and their species are the ones most likely to use manmade bee hotels. Single rooms only, of course.

Several British mammals like a walk on the wild side by themselves. These include muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). The latter form loose groupings in the winter, yet generally live alone and even red deer, commonly thought of as living in large herds in the Highlands, are inclined to solitariness when in woodland habitat. At the other end of the scale, our smallest carnivore, the weasel (Mustela nivalis), keeps its own company throughout its short, two-year life, only coming together to procreate. Its much larger mustelid cousin, the otter (Lutra lutra), is another that generally wants to be alone, apart from the necessity of mating and bringing up cubs. The loner animal is immortalised by Rudyard Kipling in his Just So story of the cat who makes a pact with humans, but remains ever aloof: 'I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.'

Around the world, about a quarter of mammals are solitary, including fearsome hunters, such as the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris