Can animals understand death?

In 2018, an orca named Tahlequah experienced the heart-wrenching loss of her newborn calf, who tragically passed away shortly after birth. Despite the devastating circumstances, Tahlequah displayed an extraordinary act of devotion. For the following 17 days and over a distance of 1,600 kilometers, she carried her deceased calf's body above water, even as it deteriorated. This behavior, which involved altering her feeding and travel patterns, raised the question: was Tahlequah mourning or simply confused? Understanding whether non-human animals grieve is a complex matter.

In 1871, Charles Darwin argued that animals can experience a wide range of emotions, including grief. However, many scientists have been cautious about attributing human emotions to other animals, especially without a reliable means of communication between our minds and theirs. It has also been suggested that irregular behaviors displayed by animals after a death might serve adaptive purposes rather than indicate grief. For a long time, the prevailing belief was that humans were unique in their capacity for thinking and feeling, while other animals merely reacted and survived.

This perspective began to be challenged during the 20th century. For instance, in 1985, a gorilla named Koko, who had been trained in American Sign Language, was informed of her kitten companion's death. Koko made distress calls and, several weeks later, when shown a photo of another kitten, signed "cry," "sad," and "frown." Such instances, alongside an increasing body of data and observations, suggest that certain animals, including mammals and birds, may indeed experience what we recognize as grief.

In one case from 2003, an elephant matriarch named Eleanor collapsed. Within minutes, another matriarch named Grace approached and assisted Eleanor in standing, only for her to fall once again. Grace vocalized, stayed by Eleanor's side, and made efforts to help her rise. When Eleanor eventually passed away, a female elephant named Maui came forward, positioned herself over Eleanor's body, and swayed back and forth. Over the following week, elephants from five different families visited Eleanor's body. There have also been instances of elephants carrying the remains of their deceased family members, including jawbones and tusks.

In 2010, a giraffe calf born with a deformed foot struggled to walk and survived for only four weeks. On the day the calf died, 22 adult females and four juveniles closely surrounded and occasionally nuzzled the body. The mother giraffe remained by her dead calf's side, abstaining from eating, which is uncharacteristic for giraffes who typically feed continuously. She persisted in her vigil even as hyenas consumed the calf's body.

Scientists have also conducted quantitative studies to assess animals' responses to death. In 2006, researchers analyzed fecal samples from female baboons to measure glucocorticoid levels, stress hormones that increase when humans experience bereavement. They compared samples from females who had lost close relatives to predator attacks with those who hadn't. The results showed significantly higher glucocorticoid levels in baboons who had experienced loss, persisting for a month after the event. These baboons subsequently increased their grooming behavior and the number of grooming partners, expanding and strengthening their social networks. Within two months, their glucocorticoid levels returned to baseline.

Observations of primate mothers carrying their deceased infants have revealed conflicting behaviors. They alternate between behaviors like cannibalizing or dragging the corpse and gently carrying or grooming it, suggesting that they experience conflicting impulses toward the bodies.

However, our current understanding of the emotional experiences of non-human animals remains limited. More research is needed to gain a deeper comprehension of mourning in the animal kingdom. In the absence of comprehensive data, discussions about whether non-human animals can experience emotions such as grief can be emotionally charged. These conversations have significant real-world implications, such as deciding whether orcas should be isolated and kept in captivity or determining the separation of dairy cows from their newborn calves.

Until we have a more robust body of evidence on this subject, it is crucial to approach non-human animals with empathy and respect, acknowledging the possibility that they may possess the capacity to grieve. It is prudent to avoid assumptions that could cause harm and instead prioritize an attitude of compassionate consideration.