Understanding animal culture can transform conservation

Embargoed Until 0800GMT 01 May 2025

Pioneering research from the University of St Andrews will be the focus of a themed journal issue published today. The special edition of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society is the first to present a comprehensive picture of the science and prospects of developments within animals’ cultural behaviour and its implications for conservation.

Not long ago, culture was assumed to be unique to humans, but recent scientific discoveries have revealed that culture is in fact surprisingly widespread across the animal kingdom. Traditions of behaviour, from tool use to migration, and dietary specialisation to social customs, have been found to be passed on in numerous species of mammals, birds, fish and even insects like bumble bees.

Now, major conservation agencies have begun to recognize that these discoveries could have important implications for conservation.

A pioneering example is provided by the role that the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) has played. Conservation initiatives concerning endangered migratory species such as whales and birds have been supported by governments that are signatories to this convention agreeing to collaborate on ‘Concerted Actions’ (CA).

One such CA has been the first to explicitly explore cultural knowledge in another species, recognising that sperm whales in the eastern Tropical Pacific form distinct clans with different vocal dialects and foraging traditions that need to be considered in conservation management.

Dr Ellen Garland from the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews and senior editor of the special issue said “Culture is such an important part of cetaceans’ lives. For example, humpback whales can have multiple independently evolving cultural traits within a population as they display song culture, migratory culture and socially learned foraging traditions. Integrating animal culture into conservation policy and practice is challenging but cetaceans have led the way in how this can be accomplished.”

A second Concerted Action focuses on conserving chimpanzee cultural diversity, and hence, it is expected, the resilience of the species, across 19 African CMS signatory states.

Professor Emeritus Andrew Whiten from the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews and co editor said “In recent years it’s been very exciting to see our science reveal the unsuspected reach of culture in animals’ lives. What has been even more rewarding is a major UN conservation body judging our discoveries to have important practical implications for conservation, and gathering a group of us into an expert panel to explore what can be achieved.” 

Dr Alison L Greggor from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said “The need for bold conservation action continues to grow and so too does the need for creative new conservation approaches. The existence of animal culture has been known for decades, but it’s only recently that this knowledge has been put into action, in conservation policy and practice. This special issue highlights where and how we can use the incredible capacity animals have to learn from each other as a tool to protect or recover them."

Eight articles in the theme issue review evidence for social learning and culture for different taxonomic groups, ranging over fish, reptiles, birds, whales, dolphins, primates, elephants, hoofed and other mammals.

 A further set of articles tackle a variety of urgent conservation issues that cut across these taxonomic groups, notably such conservation efforts as translocation (increasingly occasioned by climatic and anthropogenic disruptions), human-animal   interactions, the role of social networks and how culture can be an environmental indicator.

Finally, a section on ‘conservation in action’ addresses ongoing projects such as the sperm whale and chimpanzee concerted actions and efforts to attempt ‘cultural rescue’ in a declining songbird population.

One thing that is clear across all articles in this theme: there is no one-size-fits-all policy. Culture is complex and integrating cultural processes into conservation policy and practice is incredibly challenging, but when correctly applied can have tremendous benefits.