Walk in parallel

[Kolridg]

Good day,

Would you please advise what it is meant by "walk in parallel" in this text:

Stags roar, walk in parallel and shove one another with their outsized antlers. The powerful blows dealt can result in injury and death.

Taken from BBC Earth: https://www.bbcearth.com/blog/?article=britains-busiest-autumn-animals

I know phrase "in parallel" only in the meaning "simultaneously" or "to move side by side". But what sense for fighting deers to walk simultaneously or side by side. My dictionaries can't help me by showing any different meaning of the phrase.

Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

I can't explain how it makes sense for them to walk that way but it appears the BBC have certainly seen it happen. Quite a lot of things that happen in nature don't appear to make sense!

 

[Raymott]

"walk in parallel and shove one another with their outsized antlers"

I'd conjecture that these phrases are meant to go together. One stag walks up parallel to another, and can then shove his antlers against the other one. The only other way to do this would be head on, which they also do.

Male human children also do this with their shoulders.

[Not an ethologist]