Being lonely is no stranger to these four-legged seniors.

New research shows that it’s in the nature of an animal become isolated as they age – but unlike the known disadvantages for humans, breaking away from the crowd during their golden years can be beneficial for beasts.

Studying creatures large and small – as big as deer and monkeys, to insects – Dr Josh Firth from the University of Leeds told the Guardian there is “a very general trend whereby individuals become less social with age.”

This might have something to teach us, Firth said.

“While it is certainly worth trying to mitigate the obvious downsides that might come from diminishing social connections with age, we should also consider the potential benefits,” he added in an article published in the journal. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

Among animals, the most common reason for avoidance found was the desire to avoid infections and diseases that could threaten more susceptible older populations.

For example, in a red deer study According to Firth, the outliers were found to be less prone to parasitic nematode infection affecting the main herd.

“We found that in general, you are more likely to become infected with these nematodes as you get older, but you can compensate for that by not interacting with as many individuals,” Firth said.

As they observed other animals for the first time, house sparrows also narrowed their social circles as they aged.

“The number of friendships and a bird’s central role in the wider social network decline with age,” said another researcher, Dr Jamie Dunning.

He added that, like humans, it is harder for them to befriend younger members of their species because they have fewer bonds.

Dunning, however, stressed the importance of socialization for young birds – if only to gain life experience to use in their golden years.

This is also relevant for chimpanzees, bees and other insects, said lead researcher Amanda Bretman.

“We systematically reviewed the evidence that even in insects that we don’t typically think of as having complex social lives, their social environment has important impacts on their lifespan and aging,” she said.

Although more research is needed to better understand the habits of animals that isolate themselves, it “provides a good model system for considering the costs and benefits of changing social behavior with age,” Firth added.