Did you know humans aren’t the only ones who grieve for the loss of loved ones? We asked Linda Oatman High, author of One Amazing Elephant, to share some of what she’s learned about the animal grieving process and how sharing this remarkable behavior can remind children, as well as ourselves, to have empathy for all living things.
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Grief is the result of feeling love and happiness from connection with another creature, and then losing that beloved one. Humans grieve; many animals grieve. Children grieve, for both human beings and for animals. Grief is an emotion that bonds us to others, and children learn to feel empathy for all living beings by understanding that animals grieve, too. Here are some examples of animals who feel grief for their lost loved ones.
1. Elephants
In One Amazing Elephant, Queenie Grace is an elephant grieving the loss of her trainer, Bill. Elephants do grieve, and they are one of the few animals who are similar to humans in mourning patterns. Believe it or not, elephants cry. They bury their dead and pay tribute to the bodies and to the bones. Scientists have observed that elephants feel empathy: they toss dust upon the wounds of fellow elephants, they help others climb out of mud and holes, they even have been seen plucking tranquilizing darts from one another with their trunks. Researchers have observed elephants trying to help dying friends, lifting them with tusks and trunks, crying out in distress.
2. Monkeys
Monkeys of many different species act like “gate-keepers” or guards of their deceased loved ones, often standing watch over the body for days. They have been seen carrying the bodies of their dead babies, often for weeks, while screaming out in grief. Monkeys have strong social and familial connections, and it is believed that they are well-aware that their companions have passed. Much as humans come together in mutual bonding when a shared loved one dies, so, too, do monkeys. They gather in groups and hug one another. Like elephants, chimpanzees often become so depressed after a death that they refuse to eat, sometimes even starving to death.
3. Dolphins
Marine biologists have often observed dolphins supporting their dead offspring at the surface of the water. There are differences among the dolphins of different species, though. A recent study discovered that the Atlantic spotted dolphin abandoned the carcasses of their dead much sooner than other species. It is believed by scientists that dolphins grieve partly because they live in pods of related individuals, where they usually spend a lifetime together. New evidence suggests that dolphins, like elephants and apes, may understand their own mortality and that of their loved ones.
4. Giraffes
In a Kenyan conservancy in 2010, a female giraffe remained beside the body of her one-month-old calf for more than four days. Other females joined her and seemed to commiserate, wrapping their necks around one another in a sort of hug. Like human beings, the giraffes seemed to find comfort in connecting with one another in their shared emotions.
5. Dogs
Dogs standing sentry at the graves or coffins of their deceased loved ones have been depicted for centuries in artwork. Researchers have known for years that dogs mourn when their owners die, and a recent study has revealed even more about the inner workings of canine grief. Scientists now believe that to get an idea of how dogs grieve, we can consider them somewhat similar to a child of two to five years old. They don’t understand the finality of death and cling to the concept that the one who is gone will certainly return. This is why dogs often refuse to leave the side of their deceased owners.
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