Big big thanks to the LARG Cambridge group for all of the help and support with this one 🫶🏼 it has been in process for a while, and very proud of the outcome for my first publication! 😃

🚨 New paper! 🚨
In exploring the ontogeny of foraging in cooperatively breeding meerkats:
🐛 Foraging skill development doesn't align with the delayed onset of breeding
🪲 Foraging performance likely constrained by physical traits

@asab.org #AnimalBehaviourJournal

Read more ✨ doi.org/10.1016/j.an...

FOCAS Fest 2025 was a success! 🥳🐻🐯🐵🌿

So proud of our Learning & Discovery team and everyone involved at The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary and all visiting exhibitors! 🤩

An incredible time bringing conservation, science and art all into one jam packed weekend to start the IOW Biosphere festival! 💗

They're not wrong by any means, and it's GREAT to hear, but I hoped we could believe in a little magic AND science/how science IS pretty magical, especially for children 😅 here we are I guess 🥹

Today on "favourite thing a young child said to me"(whilst running a busy education stall at a conservation and science festival)....

*Me making the badge-making dramatic by saying "here is where the magic happens"*

*Deadpan 4 year old*: "that isn't magic, that is science"

😆😆😆

🚨New PrePrint out on the Kalahari Meerkats. In this study we quantified two axes of sociality to explain how developmental needs of pups shape meerkat social life. @zoejturn.bsky.social Neumann Christof & Tommaso Sacca
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/vie…

📣 Registration for #ABL2025 is now OPEN!

Join the Animal Behavior Live Annual Conference on 13–14 November 2025 — a free, global, online event celebrating animal behavior research🧠🌍
🆓 The event is FREE, but registration is mandatory.
📄 Register here: ablaoc25.sciencesconf.org

New paper accepted on the complexities of feral cattle social behaviours. 🎉🐂 led by @ghodgson.bsky.social - well done Team. More news to follow in a few weeks.

I am finding this work incredibly rewarding, getting to share my knowledge and inspire the younger generation, AND can't complain when I'm surrounded with incredible views and/or the sweetest rescue animals 🫶🏼🐾

Alongside being busy with a couple of papers currently in review or in press (!!), I'm extremelyyyy busy right now with my current visitor experience and education roles!

Here's a few snaps of the last weeks! Lots of fun craft activities, and even better seeing CeCe enjoy her enrichment we made!!

🚨 New preprint! ✨

From the work I conducted for my MSc thesis, we explored the social niche of meerkats in relation to the social and ecological needs of cooperative pup care during foraging.

doi.org/10.32942/X26...

🐾 🐾 🐾

📣SEMINAR SERIES 2025📣
We are kicking off 2025 with our first seminar.

📆Tuesday 29th April 2025 at 2pm GMT on our Youtube channel: @damienfarine.bsky.social will talk about “The costs of collective behaviour” 🐦

🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc9z...

This event is free, no registration required. 🤗

ANYWAY @adampjohnson.bsky.social says much of these things much more politely & scholarly than me here: anthropology365.com/2025/04/07/r...

NO THEY ARE NOT DIRE WOLVES.

These animals do not have their ecosystem to return to.

These animals do not have a real pack to rear them.

And DO NOT BE BAMBOOZLED- storing and archiving animal's genetic material is NOT an effective bulwark against the human-driven planetary extinction crisis.

Me: I'm ready for some CARNAGEEEEE 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼

Also me, when CARNAGE comes in the wildcard battle removing my first combatant:

#2025MMM
@mmmletsgo.bsky.social

Northern Flying Squirrel won't have to wait for spring eggs & baby birds for FRESH MEAT #OpportunisticOmnivore
(Wells-Gosling & Heaney 1984) #2025MMM

#2025MMM WILDCARD
EMOJI BATTLE RESULTS

🐿️🆚🐸:
🌲🌕🌌/🐸🌳⬇️/🐿️🛫🌲/
🐸🦶🏼🪂/🐸🪂🪄/🐿️🔎🍄/
🐸⬇️🐿️/🐿️😠🔊/🐸🦵🏼🐿️/
🐿️🍽️🐸/🏆🐿️

The AMAZING @oddangel.bsky.social, Operation Ermine, and the INCREDIBLE voice talent from ASU Library (among other familiar notables), dropped the Wild Card Video earlier than expected!

Welcome TO THE RUNDOWN!!!
#2025MMM youtu.be/msRkhgL-fqs?...

Readmore Books on #worldbookday!

MARCH MAMMAL MADNESS BRACKET DROP!!!! #2025MMM
Did you get the combatants you dreamed of?
HAPPY RESEARCHING THE SPECIES!!
libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalM...

What if we could compare animal social structures across time and space?

Now we can! The MacaqueNet database spans 14 macaque species and 61 populations over 40+ years, unlocking new possibilities in comparative social behaviour research.

🔎 Explore the project at doi.org/10.1111/1365...

On the cover of @royalsocietypublishing.org Proceedings B:

We show that moving as a group constrains energy efficiency in wild vulturine guineafowl making large displacements (relative to individuals moving alone). A cost of collective movement!

shorturl.at/nKhI0

@jamesklarevas.bsky.social

Remembered that the bracket drops tomorrow and I cannot wait 🙌🏼

FINE starts again next week with exciting free online seminars.
In its 10th season we will hear about whales, parental care, neuroethology, aging, group-living lizards and much more!