A US military GPS-jamming exercise has been linked to a medevac plane crash that killed four people in the mountains of New Mexico.

The twin-engine Beechcraft King Air was flying from Roswell to Ruidoso in early May to collect a patient when its pilots suddenly lost access to their modern navigation systems.

It was a clear, nearly moonless night, leaving the crew with few visual references as they flew over the dark and sparsely populated landscape.

But about 100 miles away, military personnel were testing technology designed to disrupt GPS signals during an electronic warfare event at White Sands Missile Range, according to records from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The disruption forced the two pilots to rely on older navigation methods as air traffic controllers scrambled to assist several aircraft reporting similar problems.

The pilots eventually abandoned their instrument approach and attempted to fly visually toward the lights of Ruidoso’s airport, unaware that the 10,000-foot Capitan Mountains stood directly in their path.

All four people aboard were killed when the aircraft slammed into the rising mountainside at full speed, WIRED reported.

The disaster marked the first fatal civilian plane crash in the US known to be linked to electronic warfare and has raised urgent concerns about military technology interfering with civilian aviation.

The twin-engine Beechcraft King Air was flying from Roswell to Ruidoso in early May to collect a patient when its pilots suddenly lost access to their modern navigation systems. Pictured is the plane’s flight path 

The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report described the GPS problems encountered by the pilots, but investigators will not determine the crash’s cause until the final report is completed next year.

The crew was dispatched at 11pm on May 13 to collect a patient in Ruidoso and transport them to Albuquerque.

Captain Keelan Clark, 30, and First Officer Ali Kawsara, 23, were joined by nurses Sarah Clark, 33, and Jamie Novick, 33.

Clark had received his commercial pilot’s license about 18 months earlier and was promoted to captain the previous month, while Kawsara had been on the job for two months after previously flying cargo planes.

The aircraft left Roswell at 11:52pm and headed west under clear but nearly moonless skies, WIRED reported.

That night, the Air Force’s 746th Test Squadron was testing GPS-jamming technology during its NAVFEST electronic warfare event at White Sands Missile Range.

The FAA had warned pilots that the exercises could disrupt GPS signals up to 400 miles away between May 12 and 18.

Eight minutes after takeoff, the pilots reported losing GPS and asked air traffic control for directions.

Pictured are Captain Keelan Clark, 30, and First Officer Ali Kawsara (right), 23, who died in the crash

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The controller gave them headings toward the airport as they attempted to switch from a GPS-dependent RNAV approach to its ground-based instrument landing system.

However, three other aircraft were also reporting GPS problems and required assistance.

By 12:08am, the King Air had flown about 10 miles beyond the landing pattern.

Nurses Sarah Clark, 33, and Jamie Novick, 33, (right), also perished 

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The pilots then spotted the lights of Ruidoso’s airport 31 miles away and received permission to approach visually, unaware that the darkness concealed the 10,000-foot Capitan Mountains ahead.

As the plane descended, the mountains blocked the valley lights, potentially causing ‘confusion and a loss of situational awareness,’ pilot Juan Browne said.

‘When those lights go out, man, you know you are in big trouble,’ he added.

The pilots briefly climbed, but the plane struck the mountainside at full speed, killing everyone aboard.

A memorial service was held for the four passengers in June 

Experts stressed that GPS disruption alone should not cause an aircraft to crash because pilots can rely on ground-based or visual navigation.

‘The loss of GPS should not result in the loss of an airplane, so there’s got to be more to it than that,’ said retired airline pilot John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems.

However, aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said GPS is particularly important in mountainous terrain, where pilots have little room for error.

‘GPS can bring you in precisely with a margin of safety that’s required and bring you down for landing. But if you don’t have GPS, you can’t make that approach within those margins and you may drift outside using conventional navigation,’ said Arroyo, a longtime United Airlines pilot.

The crash has raised concerns about military GPS interference affecting civilian aircraft as the technology is increasingly used to combat enemy drones.

The Daily Mail has contacted the FAA and Department of War for comment.

He added: “Since NX121’s unanimous acquittal by an Old Bailey jury, and in the absence of any evidence that he failed in his duties, we have been clear and consistent in our view that he should not face a misconduct hearing.”

The commissioner said the decision “must be a milestone moment” to reset the police accountability system.

“No police officer is above the law, but we have been clear the system holding police to account is broken,” he said.

“Your life being on hold for four years or more as you go through multiple accountability processes is a disgraceful way to treat brave men and women. I also see the profound effect these cases routinely have on officers’ families.

“Criminals are held to account once by the courts – officers can be held to account four times through criminal, misconduct, civil and inquest processes that span years. That cannot be right.”

Amanda Rowe, IOPC director of engagement, said they had “always sought to avoid any unnecessary delays” in Blake’s case, but said it was right proceedings were paused until the impact of new legislation was understood.

“Having considered both our policy and the representations from the Kaba family and Sgt Blake, we have today notified them of our decision to withdraw disciplinary proceedings,” she said.

A coroner will now decide whether an inquest will take place into Kaba’s death.

The IOPC’s decision was criticised by the Justice for Chris Kaba Campaign and the charity Inquest, with both groups calling it a “blow” to Kaba’s family.

Temi Mwale, from the Justice for Chris Kaba Campaign, said decision sent a “dangerous message”, and Deborah Coles, from Inquest, said it signified that “police can act with impunity”.

Paula Dodds, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said the IOPC had made “the right decision”.

“Police officers are of course – and rightly – highly accountable for their actions. But the officer has sadly suffered years of legal scrutiny following this incident,” she said.

“We are pleased this has all now concluded and that the officer can continue to serve the public without this hanging over him.”

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A 47-year-old woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in Covent Garden in central London, the Metropolitan Police said.

The men, aged 34, 39, 42 and 52, were taken to hospital after emergency services were called to reports of a stabbing in Endell Street at about 12:30 BST.

In a statement, London Ambulance Service said: “We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to a major trauma centre as a priority by road.”

The woman has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and assault.

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By RYAN HOOPER, CRIME CORRESPONDENT

Published: 14:24 BST, 5 August 2026 | Updated: 14:33 BST, 5 August 2026

Disgraced former pop star Gary Glitter sexually assaulted a girl as young as eight almost half a century ago after giving her chocolate, a court heard.

The paedophile glam rock singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, is facing one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14.

The alleged abuse took place between 1978 and 1981, at Glitter’s home at the time in London, and relates to a single complainant.

The girl was aged between eight and 11 at the time, and cannot be identified for legal reasons. 

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The 82-year-old appeared virtually at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London via videolink from Channings Wood prison in Devon this afternoon.

He told the court he was ‘extremely deaf’ and relied on lip-reading, prompting a prison guard to relay information to the defendant.  

He wore a blue shirt, and wore a cap and glasses as he sat behind a table.

He was not asked to enter any pleas during the 11-minute hearing. 

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Gary Glitter, pictured in 2015 after he was jailed for sexually abusing three schoolgirls

The glam rocker, pictured at the height of his fame in 1975

Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC said the defendant ‘committed a number of, we say, serious offences’.

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He added Glitter would give the girl chocolate. 

The court heard Glitter denied the allegations. 

There was a brief delay to the case when Glitter told the court he was unable to hear properly.

He said: ‘Excuse me your honour, I am extremely deaf unless I am lip-reading.’

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Prosecutor Mr Polnay said he would stand away from the microphone in order to reduce distortion. 

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring further remanded Glitter into custody ahead of his next appearance, at the Old Bailey on September 2. 

Glitter, who was said to have ‘mobility issues’, stood to leave the prison room at the end of the hearing.  

The Metropolitan Police previously said the allegations were first reported to the force on January 9 last year, and Glitter was interviewed on July 22, 2025, in relation to the investigation.

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Former Greater Manchester Police detective and grooming gangs whistleblower Maggie Oliver said the alleged victim contacted police after first seeking support from her eponymous charity.

Glitter was jailed for 16 years in 2015 for sexually abusing three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980. His sentence expires in 2031.

He was automatically released from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Portland, Dorset, in February 2023 after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence.

But he was recalled within weeks when police monitoring showed he had breached his licence conditions.

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The offences for which he was jailed in 2015 came to light as part of Operation Yewtree, the Metropolitan Police investigation launched in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

He became the first person to be arrested as part of the operation when he was held at his home in the capital in October 2012.

Bethan David, deputy chief crown prosecutor at CPS London, said last month that prosecutors had ‘worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to do so’.

Leading this month’s edition is a feature on Ramsdens Solicitors, exploring how the Yorkshire-founded firm has successfully combined more than 150 years of tradition with a modern, innovative approach to growth.

The magazine also highlights the success of Treske, the Thirsk-based furniture maker whose craftsmanship has earned recognition worldwide, and Duttons for Buttons, the family-run business celebrating 120 years of supporting everyone from local creatives to major film and television productions.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Readers can also delve into the work of York Archaeology, whose efforts to preserve and share the region’s rich heritage continue to attract visitors and contribute to the local economy. Alongside these features, the latest issue includes the highly anticipated York and North Yorkshire Top 100 Businesses Report, produced in partnership with York Business School, showcasing the strength, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit that defines the region’s business community.

The front cover of the July Issue (Image: Pic supplied)

Packed with local success stories, business insight and inspiring achievements, Yorkshire BUSINESSiQ is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of business across the region.

Pick up a copy today or visit the York Press website and click on E-Editions to read the latest issue online. You’ll also find an extensive archive of previous editions, allowing you to catch up on the stories, leaders and businesses that continue to shape Yorkshire’s economy.

Whether in print or online, BUSINESSiQ is your window into the innovation, ambition and success that make Yorkshire one of the UK’s most dynamic business regions.

German police are investigating an object suspected of carrying an explosive device, which was found near a runway near Ukrainian places at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Wednesday night.

Flights to the airport were temporarily disrupted overnight.

The police said that shortly before midnight, “an unidentified flying object” was sighted. As a result several planes, including a passenger aircraft from Mallorca, were diverted to other airports.

They said an object was then found near the southern runway. Police used an explosive detection robot to help them investigate the item.

A police spokesman told the BBC that the object had been spotted close to where Ukrainian Antonov transport planes were parked.

The German Press Agency DPA quotes security sources who said an explosive device with a detonator was attached to the drone.

The airport’s southern runway, which is a major hub for the logistic group DHL, remains closed. Flights on the northern runway resumed at 13:55 local time, according to the police.

Bild newspaper reported that another cargo plane later collided with an unknown object in mid-air shortly after taking off from Leipzig airport last night. Bild said the plane landed safely at Hanover airport, where minor damage was discovered on the nose section.

Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster has described it as a “very serious security incident”.

There have been a series of unauthorised drone flights in Germany in recent months over sensitive sites including military bases, airports, energy terminals, seaports and logistics companies.

German airports are on high alert. Federal police have warned that the overflights could have been organised by Russian agents.

In July 2024 a parcel burst into flames on the ground at Leipzig airport before it could be loaded onto a DHL cargo plane. There are suspicions it could have been sabotage linked to Moscow.

Russia has denied any involvement in those incidents.

Last year a Chinese woman was convicted for passing on information about flight schedules and cargo movements at Leipzig-Halle airport to a man spying for Beijing.

As of the afternoon of Wednesday, August 5, police, including forensic officers, were still at the scene on Yewdale Avenue in Breightmet, having been called in the early hours of Tuesday.

As the investigation entered its second day, well-wishers left flowers and a teddy bear holding a star-shaped soft toy outside the property as police officers continued their work.

A woman, who police say was in her 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene, while a 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Platten of Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team said: “My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victim at this incredibly tragic time.

“We understand how troubling this news will be, and whilst formal identification has yet to take place, the believed family are being supported by specialist officers.

Officers have been at the scene since the early hours of Tuesday (Image: Phil Taylor)

“A scene will remain in place as officers continue the investigation and we will have an increased police presence in the area.

“I’d like to reassure you that this was an isolated incident that is not believed to pose a wider risk to the public, and we currently have a man in custody in relation to the incident.

“I urge anyone who may have information to support our enquiries to please come forward.”

Officers at the house on Yewdale Avenue (Image: Phil Taylor)

Officers announced on Tuesday morning that they had been called to Yewdale Avenue, a residential street lined with houses, shortly after 3am on Tuesday.

At the scene, they found a woman with “significant injuries”, who was later pronounced dead.

Officers have remained on Yewdale Avenue ever since.

Officers at the scene (Image: Phil Taylor)

Speaking to The Bolton News at the scene, a neighbour said: “They’d just be in there arguing 24/7 and if they weren’t fighting, they’d be doing something else!

“They’d keep to themselves, you’d hear the screaming or else other really loud noises.

“It’s dead quiet mostly round here but when it kicks off it really kicks off.

“It’s just horrible that this has happened, they really need to do more to make sure people are safe.”

The North West Ambulance Service confirmed that they were also called to the scene at around 3.15am on Tuesday.

Officers have appealed for anyone with any information to call them on 0161 856 2270, quoting log 321 of 04/08/26.

Alternatively, members of the public can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

TikTok has faced a backlash for not acting faster to remove disturbing footage posted by Perez Hilton appearing to show him self-harming on a TikTok livestream.

The US celebrity blogger was taken for treatment in Miami last night after police received ‘multiple’ calls from concerned fans about his behaviour on the broadcast.

The video is believed to have remained up for 30 minutes before being taken down. Hilton’s TikTok profile has since been suspended. 

Clips taken from the video, which the Daily Mail will not publish, appeared to show Hilton covered in blood while brandishing a knife.

Officers from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office rushed to the 48 year old’s home, before he was transported to a local hospital.

People have now criticised TikTok for allowing the footage to be aired – and warned of the potentially harmful effect on viewers, including youngsters using the video platform.

Bertie Aspinall, an advisor to the UK Government on the Online Safety Act, today told the Daily Mail: ‘This is yet another example of extremely harmful content being broadcast to children.

‘We know that livestreams are workarounds for blocking content, and yet Kick, TikTok, Instagram etc all continue to promote it.

A police car outside the Miami home of Perez Hilton on Tuesday night after responding to concerns for his safety

Mr Aspinall is co-founder of SafetyMode.com, an app aimed at helping parents supervise and manage what their children see online. 

He said of TikTok: ‘Many of our users are now abstaining from it entirely. This is a great example of how you need to be able to block content in live time. Like we do.

‘Content like this has no place at all, not just online, but in society and not only is this very sad for the family and individual involved, but it could be the start of another worrying trend that kids should never see.’

A spokesperson for 5Rights Foundation, an international charity campaigning for children’s rights and against digital harms, said: ‘The footage circulating in this case is deeply distressing for anyone.

‘When it comes to protecting children, removing harmful content quickly is important, but preventing foreseeable harm is even more important.

‘Platforms must build in safety by design, effective age assurance and robust risk assessments. These are already legal requirements and regulators must ensure they are properly enforced.’

One X user wrote: ‘Genuinely think TikTok should be held liable in some way for allowing that Perez Hilton feed to last 30 minutes. Absolutely insane.’

Another noted that the platform ‘allowed for many people, including children to come across a live where a man was going through a mental health crisis.’

After last night’s footage was widely shared, Miami police officers spoke with family members on the scene and confirmed Hilton was alone inside before making the decision to ‘tactically disengage’ while monitoring the situation.

Hours later, authorities announced Hilton had been ‘safely recovered and transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention’.

Deputies rushed to 48-year-old Hilton’s home following ‘multiple’ emergency calls – he is pictured appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain in February 2021

Police vehicles and sheriff’s deputies were seen outside the Miami neighbourhood where Perez Hilton resides overnight

Meanwhile, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Unit and Licensed Mental Health Professionals remained at the scene ‘providing support and resources to the individual’s family’.

Hilton was alone at his home at the time the video was filmed, deputies have said.

He is a father to three children, who were born via surrogacy. His eldest son was born in 2013, followed by two daughters in 2015 and 2017. 

The Daily Mail has contacted Hilton’s representatives for comment, as well as TikTok.

Hilton’s representatives, Golden Artists Entertainment co-CEOs Dante Rusciolelli and Rebekah Kochan, told TMZ in a statement: ‘We are aware of the concerning content circulating online involving our client, Perez Hilton.

‘At this time, we have not been able to make direct contact with him, despite our ongoing efforts to reach him.

‘Our primary concern is Perez’s health and well-being, as well as the well-being of his family. Until we have confirmed information, we will not speculate or comment further.

‘We appreciate everyone’s concern and ask that his privacy be respected during this time.’ 

The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office told the Daily Mail that deputies rushed to the residence after calls regarding an individual engaging in alleged self-harm on the platform 

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A person believed to be Hilton was taken from his home and into an ambulance following the incident, in a video shared by BNO News

In the meantime, celebrity friends and fans of the blogger – born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr – have taken to social media to send him messages, begging for him to seek medical help. 

‘The Perez Hilton video is so upsetting,’ wrote Trisha Paytas. ‘I hope he’s OK. I hope his children are OK.

‘Crashing out on the internet, whether it’s fake or real – is a cry for help.’ 

Jessica Rosado, a singer and the host of Las Vegas Morning Blend, also posted a statement to her Instagram page.

She wrote: ‘As someone who knows Perez personally, I find myself at a loss for words.

‘I know the move to Miami hasn’t been an easy one, but never could I ever have imagined something as dark and deeply disturbing as this. 

‘He is clearly in distress, and as someone who is also in media, I’m not rushing to discuss things I don’t have all the facts on. ‘I’m waiting to hear more from trusted sources.’

In the meantime, Rosado said her ‘love pours out to him and his entire family.’

Celebrity friends and fans of the blogger – born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. – took to social media to send him messages, begging for him to seek medical help

‘Thank you to everyone who has reached out with kind words and concern,’ the television host added. 

‘Whether you are close with someone or not, please remember to move with empathy and approach others with the utmost care.’ 

Former politician George Santos wrote on X: ‘Please pray for Perez Hilton folks. He needs the power of prayer and the strength of our Lord and Savior.’ 

Hilton revealed in March he had just emerged from a 21-day hospital stint as he battled sepsis – a result, he said, of taking flu medication on an empty stomach that triggered further health problems.

He underwent two surgeries at the Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas.

During his recovery the following month, Hilton wrote of feeling ‘like I should be scared right now, but I’m not. I definitely am worried, though. God show me the way!’ 

The columnist continued on April 8: ‘Perez Hilton is GOING THROUGH IT right now. He asks for prayers and for Christ to intervene – sooner [rather] than later.’ 

Hilton later told the Daily Mail how he found God during his recovery.

Perez Hilton previously revealed that he had spent 21 days in hospital earlier this year after contracting sepsis. Pictured: Hilton in a hospital bed in March

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Hilton said he got sepsis after taking flu medication on an empty stomach

He said: ‘It was God presenting Himself to me, and then doing something that I could only describe as a miracle to heal me. I was still unwell and then God did something.’

He also said that his professed exchange with God allowed him to change his mindset about his 22-year career. 

Hilton had come under fire over the years for his controversial behaviour – including outing gay celebrities and giving certain A-listers nicknames. 

He admitted that he had ‘made a lot of mistakes in the past which are very public’, adding: ‘Which I own. Which I regret, which I have deep shame for, which I’ve apologised for repeatedly, publicly as well as privately.’

But, he added, ‘to have this experience with God and to know that God loves me, and God forgives me, it was very healing, because I then forgave myself’.

Hilton also noted he harbored guilt over ‘all of the mistakes – not even mistakes, they were awful decisions that I made’ in his ‘enfant terrible phase’ as a celebrity blogger, when he ‘knew what I was doing was wrong and I didn’t care’.

He added: ‘It’s like if you’re a drug addict, and you’re stealing from your parents’ money to buy drugs.

‘You know what you’re doing is wrong, and you don’t care. You just want that hit. And that was truly what I was doing.’

For Hilton, the ‘most powerful drug’ was the ‘attention’ he garnered as an online gadfly, ‘and I didn’t care who I hurt in the process’.

Still, his ‘experience with God’ did not inspire a total career change. 

He told of responding to people asking whether he would consider changing professions with: ‘No, because I’m not doing gossip. I do celebrity journalism.’

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org. Or call Samaritans on 116 123 for free in the UK. 

Here’s what to do if your lawn has dried out because of the heatwave

Weeks of hot weather and little rain have left many gardens across Wales looking tired, with once-green lawns fading to dry, crispy, and brown patches. Add in hosepipe bans in some areas, and plenty of homeowners are wondering whether their grass is beyond saving.

But a popular online gardener says the best approach in extreme heat is often the simplest: don’t panic, and don’t rush to ‘fix’ the brown patches, because the lawn may be protecting itself. TikTok creator and presenter Ish, who posts as Gardening with Ish, has been sharing drought-season lawn tips with his followers after noticing the same problem at home.

In a recent video, he explained that what appears to be damage may actually be the grass going dormant. He explained that some people make it worse by intervening too soon.

Ish said the dry, brown layer acts like a protective blanket while the grass ‘hibernates’, helping keep the soil beneath cooler and protecting the roots. Because of that, he advised against removing it during a heatwave, meaning there should be no cutting or scarifying while conditions are harsh.

Instead, he suggested gardeners should give the lawn time to recover naturally, with green growth often returning once rain arrives. The key is letting the roots stay protected until temperatures ease and moisture levels improve.

For parts of the lawn that have stayed green, Ish suggested treating them gently too. He said mowing is fine if needed, but only with the blades set as high as possible, as keeping the grass longer helps shade the ground, retain moisture, and reduce stress during hot spells.

His overall advice was to hold off on normal lawn routines until the weather breaks. Ish said gardeners can return to regular mowing and feeding once the whole lawn has bounced back.

And while he noted watering can help where it’s allowed, his main point was that, during heat and drought, leaving brown areas alone and cutting higher on greener patches gives grass the best chance of recovering.

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RHS shares similar advice on its website. A guide focused on lawn care for drought said: “Grass growth will start to slow down in dry conditions, so mow less often and raise the cutting height to let the grass get longer, which should encourage deeper rooting. Close cutting in dry weather can weaken the grass and make it more vulnerable.

“Also let the clippings fall back into the grass to act as a mulch and hold in moisture. If grass growth stops, then take a break from mowing.”

The first time I saw it, I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at. A northern white-cheeked gibbon at Shanghai Zoo was holding and caressing a mouse that had wandered into its enclosure. It wasn’t trying to eat it or chase it away. Instead, the gibbon treated the tiny rodent with remarkable gentleness. I couldn’t stop wondering why.

Years later, while studying wild black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys in the mountains of south-west China, I watched playful juveniles repeatedly trying to climb onto the backs of domestic pigs. Again, these weren’t the kinds of interactions I expected to see between different species.

A new study my colleagues and I conducted brings together 427 documented cases of primates interacting with other species, spanning several decades from the 1970s to 2025. Our findings reveal that these encounters are far more widespread than scientists had realised.

Over the years, I had begun collecting reports of similar encounters from scientific journals, photographs, videos and observations shared by other primatologists. What initially seemed like a handful of quirky anecdotes gradually turned into a much broader pattern. These interactions appeared to represent a surprisingly widespread aspect of primate behaviour.

This behaviour may shed light on one of the defining features of our own species: our extraordinary relationships with other animals.

I’ve long been interested in how tolerance evolves, not only between members of the same species but also between strangers more generally. Humans are unusual in the degree to which we cooperate with unrelated people. We are perhaps even more unusual in the close relationships we form with other animals.

Scientists have long known that different animal species often associate with one another. Monkeys, for example, can improve their predator detection or increase foraging opportunities when they move around as a mixed-species group. Another example is how birds frequently follow monkeys through forests to feed on insects disturbed by their movements.

But our study focused on social interactions.

The cases we reviewed involved 88 primate species and their interactions with 127 other animal species. The diversity of these species was astonishing. It included mammals such as sheep, tapir, deer, domestic pigs, cats and dogs, as well as owls, lizards, toads and even insects.

The most common behaviour was play and grooming. But we also found reports of primates carrying, huddling and sharing food with and occasionally adopting members of another species. Most interactions were initiated by the primates themselves.

One of my favourite examples is the now well-known case of Japanese macaques grooming and riding on the backs of sika deer. It remains a remarkable example of two very different species repeatedly interacting peacefully over long periods.

I was also fascinated by some of the less familiar observations, such as a langur attentively stroking a squirrel, a silverback gorilla carefully cradling a tiny wild bushbaby, a bonobo gently holding a mongoose pup and macaques grooming stray dogs.

Many of these interactions may provide benefits similar to those seen within species. Grooming can help remove parasites, improve hygiene and reinforce social bonds. Play contributes to the development of motor coordination, social skills and cognitive flexibility.

Some interactions happen where primates and other animals spend time together because of shared foraging opportunities or protection from predators. For example, tropical primates form associations with other primate species and jointly forage in the tree canopy. In these cases, social interactions, such as grooming or play, may simply emerge from repeated contact and social familiarity.

Yet not all observations fit this pattern. Why would a langur stroke a squirrel, or macaques groom stray dogs? Such interactions suggest that primates may possess a broader capacity for social flexibility, curiosity and tolerance towards other species than researchers previously appreciated.

We also found consistent patterns in who interacted. Young primates were much more likely to play with members of another species, whereas adult females were more often involved in grooming. This mirrors well-established age and sex differences in many primate societies, where juveniles spend much of their time playing and females often invest more heavily in caregiving.

It would be tempting to describe all these encounters as examples of friendship. But the reality is more complicated. Some primates carried infants of another species in ways resembling adoption or caregiving, yet rough handling or neglect sometimes resulted in injury or death. We also documented cases where primates appeared to abduct a young animal from its group, while a small number of interactions were clearly abusive, involving violence.

Most interactions were probably of relatively short duration. However, there are some reports of cases that lasted for weeks. For example, the adoption of a marmoset by a capuchin monkey.

In zoos and other human-care settings, some species appear to form long-lasting relationships with animals of other species. In 2017, a macaque living in an Israeli zoo called Niv adopted a chicken and treated it like it was her own baby.

Our study found these interactions were not more common among great apes – they occurred across all major primate lineages.

These unusual encounters are more than fascinating natural history.

As forests become increasingly fragmented and wildlife is forced into closer contact with people, livestock and domestic animals, opportunities for cross-species interactions are changing rapidly. Primates now encounter dogs, cats and other human-associated animals more often than they once did.

Some of these interactions may be benign or even beneficial. Others could increase the risk of diseases spreading between wildlife, domestic animals and humans. Understanding when and why different species tolerate one another therefore has important implications for both conservation and public health.

The findings may also help improve animal welfare. Zoos increasingly house compatible species together, and understanding which species are more likely to form positive relationships can help managers make better decisions.

Perhaps most interesting of all, our findings suggest that some of the ingredients (curiosity, tolerance, caregiving and play) underlying those relationships may have deep evolutionary roots.