Long Read: The Teenage Animal

From The Detail, 5:00 am on 13 May 2023

This is The Detail's Long Read - one in-depth story read by us every weekend.

A cartoon illustration of joeys (baby kangaroos) playing in a field of poppies.

Just like humans, animals go through ‘wildhood’—a time of experimentation, creativity, danger and learning. Photo: NZ Geographic

This week, it's The Teenage Animal by Kate Evans, published in NZ Geographic's May-June issue.

You can read the full article, with accompanying illustrations, here.

Adults have complained about teenagers since the dawn of time, but it turns out evolution has good reasons for giving adolescents deep-seated social insecurity and a propensity to take silly risks. Just like humans, animals go through ‘wildhood’—a time of experimentation, creativity, danger and learning.

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