When we lose someone we love we grieve. But this may not be unique to humans. There’s a lot of evidence to show that animals across several species not just grieve but also have rituals around death – drawing our attention to be kind to all creatures
Elephants and others
Among the most cited examples of animal grief is that of the elephant. There are many reports of elephants mourning their deceased relatives. In one instance, when the matriarch (female head) of one group died at least three matriarchs from other groups visited the dead, constantly touching or moving around the body. Chimpanzees too have exhibited death related behaviour. For example some chimpanzees checked for signs of life in a dead family member and also tried to clean the dead animals fur. Apparently, for many days, the family members did not go to the spot the relative died in. Some cetaceans (a group of aquatic mammals) also are said to show signs of mourning. Only a couple of years ago did we read about an orca (killer whale) mother carrying her dead calf in the waters for at least 17 days across 1,000 miles before finally letting go of it Scientists called it “a tour of grief. Though some researchers have attributed animal grief to the size of the animal’s brain, this theory does not hold water in all cases because small creatures and birds too have exhibited grief related behaviour For instance, magpies – considered intelligent birds – have been known to bury the dead under twigs. grass, etc., and this is called a “magpie funeral”. Interestingly, studies say that birds such as crows hold funerals (gathering around a dead bird) more to assess the danger (such as a predator) in the area of death rather than to mourn.
Is it really grief?
A few scientists disagree with attributing grief to animal behaviour. They point out that this theory is not built on scientific evidence because while the behaviour itself is evident the motive remains unclear. The attribution is problematic because the case then is built simply on human belief systems. Some have countered this by saying that though it is good to be cautious while explaining non human animal behaviour, the lack of scientific evidence cannot discount the animal’s loss or diminish its pain. As one professor puts it beautifully, the question is not Do animals grieve? But ‘How do animals grieve?
Picture Credit : Google