Bull Sharks Form Social Bonds

A six‑year observational study of 184 individually identifiable bull sharks in Fiji finds sharks choose partners, show sex‑ and age‑based preferences, and engage in interactive behaviors (parallel swimming, following) consistent with active social bonds rather than mere co‑occurrence. Adults, and especially females, drive most social interactions; subadults preferentially associate with adults. — If predators like bull sharks have stable, structured social networks, that changes how we model ecosystem dynamics, design protected areas, and communicate about animal cognition and conservation policy.