By the time an animal is old, often he or she is no longer reproducing or following the customs of their youth. They are free spirits who may team up with another chum to spend their last days in congenial company. This has been documented for mountain gorillas, olive baboons, gelada baboons, elephants, African buffalo, and red deer. A final short section on loners identifies single animals who seem to want company.

Mountain gorillas

Dian Fossey (1983) only encountered Rafiki and Coco when they were old, their group without youngsters, so it is perhaps the lack of preadolescents needing protection that made the group so easy to habituate to her presence. Rafiki was about fifty years old, a usually tolerant silverback leader of group 8 which comprised, as well as himself, a young silverback (Pug), a blackback in his prime (Samson), two young males (Geezer and Peanut), and a serene but decrepit old female with light coat color (Coco). Fossey named the leader Rafiki, which means “friend” in Swahili, because friendship implied the mutual trust and respect she felt for him. She believed that Coco was the mother of Samson and Peanut who resembled her.