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Loading...4 Animals Who Mourn Their Dead
- by Kristina Chew
- September 3, 2012
- 10:00 am
When a member of their herd dies, elephants often guard the bodies. They become agitated and appear to investigate the dead animal, even touching the bones– the skull and tusks — with their trunks and feet in a ceremonial way (as caught on this video).
A few years ago, scientists from the UK and Kenya observed elephants engaged in such behaviors. They were unable to confirm that the elephants visit the bones of their dead relatives in particular. But, as scientists wrote in the journal Biology Letters, “their interest in the ivory and skulls of their own species means that they would be highly likely to visit the bones of relatives who die within their home range.”
As David Field, head of animal care for London and Whipsnade Zoos in the UK, says in New Scientist:
Elephants are highly intelligent and highly tactile animals. The fact they are able to distinguish between their own skulls and those of other species is not surprising.
Elephants themselves are a matriarchal society filled with aunties and family members who have close bonds within a group.
Therefore, a death in the family “could have an impact on social bonding and structure within the group,” just as it does in human families.
Scientists emphasized that the “notion of elephant graveyards – where old elephants wander off to die – has been exposed as myth by previous studies” and that they are not exactly be “mourning” their dead. But elephants do get excited when they near carcasses as “secretions [stream] from their temples.”
Photo by Xavi Talleda
Read more: animal emotions, animal intelligence, blue jays, chimpanzees, elephants, giraffes
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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This is ridiculous. I believe all sentient beings mourn the deaths of members of their herd, pride or family unit. Dogs are first that come to mind, there are many cases of dogs traveling and a companion is killed by a vehicle and the dog stays by the body of their dead companion. I have watched a fox mourn the death of her kit, killed by a vehicle. The remaining kit, having lost it's littermate went on to play with a neighbor's cat until she was old enough to move out on her own. I have watched deer mourn the death of their fawn, adult offspring or mate. They vocalize, they pace, they behave as many humans do seeking help for their mortally wounded family member or friend. Horses mourn their herd members when they die. Cats become depressed with a colony member is killed or dies. Honestly, I can't imagine why an intelligent human would ever question the ability of another species to mourn the death of a loved one. Some humans are stoic, some are emotional and the same holds true for animals.
Don't say there's no love in animals
Can we help before some others' death?
Thanks for this article.I think it's natural,that animals mourn their dead ones. They have often so much tighter bound to the group or the family,than people these days!
Why shouldn't they mourn their dead, what makes them any less hurt by the loss, but the fact that they are a different species? Sickening how it is to think we are the only ones who mourn our dead, how pompous! Every living being, at least, I believe they feel, hurt, cry, can be happy and joyous and can mourn, regardless of their race or species. Why do we as humans think we are so very different from them or them from us?! Now all we have to do is be more humane and more like our animal counterparts, who don't kill for sport, etc.
touching article
I've once seen in a documentary elephants crying over a dead companion. Very touching.
Also Koko the gorilla was very sad when her kitten died, it was astonishing.
Both are such amazing creatures, sensitive and intelligent, not like a well-known parasite called humanity.
There are so many things we do not know about the animal kingdom. At one time in prehistoric days, animals were worshipped as having greater intelligience than humans. Unfortunately, that has changed to the point that modern man abuses, neglects and experiments on animals thinking they are beneath them. In the modern world where women murder their own children and men beat up little babies, I would say these animals show an intelligience many of us have not yet discovered.
Thanks for this article.
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