Do Animals Grieve? Exploring How Some Species Mourn Their Dead

We usually think grief is a uniquely human characteristic, but it isn’t. It has been observed in various animal species, ranging from killer whales to crows. These creatures show behaviors that can be interpreted as responses to emotional situations following the loss of companions. This assumption of exclusive human characteristics was challenged by this.

A classic example of animal bereavement is witnessed in killer whales. A dead newborn calf had been seen by a female orca, named Tahlequah, in the recent days off the Washington State coast.

This was seen as an enactment of what happened in 2018 when another dead calf she had given birth to was found floating, to which she persistently returned over 17 days to retrieve from sinking. Despite traveling 120 kilometers a day, killer whales demonstrate an attachment toward their young in a way akin to mourning.

Other Mammals Show Similar Responses

Killer whales are not the only ones that grieve. In 2021, at Edinburgh Zoo, a chimpanzee named Lianne walked around the enclosure carrying her stillborn baby. She refused to drop the body. Dolphins and monkeys have been known to carry dead offspring, which further shows that they cannot leave their loss right away.

According to Becky Millar, a researcher in cognitive sciences at Cardiff University, these behaviors reflect a struggle to adapt to a new reality. “Animals often grapple with the loss of a companion, showing behaviors similar to human grieving, such as searching for their deceased companions,” Millar explains.

Such as the elephants that show emotional reactions towards loss due to their intelligent and strong social bonding. These have been found to cry over the bodies of their companions, not to eat food after the death of someone they love. In 1999, a zoo in India reportedly saw the death of an old elephant called Damini because she was unable to bear the loss of her younger companion who died. Damini cried, stopped eating, and starved herself to death.

Examples Of Animal Loyalty

Legendary stories about animals being loyal after the death of a companion include those of Greyfriars Bobby, a terrier that stayed at the grave of its owner in Edinburgh for 14 years, and Hachiko, an Akita from Japan, who waited at a train station for years for his deceased owner to return.

Even birds behave as if they are grieving. Greylag geese are said to be depressed and have a loss of appetite and interest in their environment after losing a mate. During the time of death, crows, magpies, and ravens are said to be ritualistic in their behavior: some would place leaves or twigs around the dead bird and congregate it.

Empirical research supports the scientific hypothesis that animals really grieve. Baby primates can wail and cry when taken away from their mothers before later turning away from their surroundings. Stress hormones are higher in female baboons who lose close relatives, much like humans when grieving.

Controversy Over Whether Animals Suffer From Real Grief

Whether animals really do grieve or not depends on how grief is defined. Philosophers argue that grief involves the understanding of permanence in death and its implications, capacities animals may lack. However, Millar suggests that grief is not about intellectual understanding alone. Rather, she feels it involves an adaptation to a radically changed world, a process through which animals, like humans, may undergo.

“Animals share their lives deeply with one another. When a companion dies, they face the challenge of relearning their environment without them,” Millar concludes.

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