Animal Rituals That Will Make You Emotional

By Nia

Friday, June 7, 2019, 17:10

There have been numerous studies and observations that suggest that an animal grieving on the death of their family or pack member is genuine. The initial research had claimed that monkeys and elephants are the only animals that are sad and upset about their partners' death.

But detailed research has shown that the mourning death has been seen in various species throughout the animal kingdom. The unique thing that was discovered during these studies is that most of the creatures not only mourn, but they also perform animal death rituals that will help them to cope with the loss of a companion or offspring.

Check out how different animals mourn the death of their family or pack members.

Chimpanzees Mourn The Death Of Their Young Ones For Weeks

Chimpanzees share similar characteristics as gorillas. When a pack member dies, it is seen that the chimp family gather in a circle around their deceased. They are seen hollering, sniffing and touching the body of the dead. They also move the limbs into various positions to check any signs of life. The mother chimps are seen carrying the baby's body around for weeks and in few cases, they carry the carcass for months!

Dogs Cry While And Protect The Body Of The Dead

Dogs' mourning rituals are quite depressing to witness since they are highly emotional creatures. When a dog mourns the loss of the death of its family member, they often whine and cower over the body. They are seen around the body for hours and they also protect it while they softly moan.

Horses Go Through A Grieving Process

When horses die, some of their mates mourn by standing quietly around the dead body. They are seen keeping their heads low and eyes fixated on it. Another unique trait seen is when the horses run around in confusion, while they are whinnying and calling out to their dead friend.

It is also noted that since horses become depressed over the death of a herd mate, the horse owners let their herd go through the grieving process by allowing them to examine the dead body of their lost mate before it is buried.

Dolphins Try To Wake Up The Dead

When a dolphin dies, the entire pod is seen as becoming extremely emotional. It is seen that they try to poke the deceased member gently with their snouts while some examine the body and aggressively safeguard it against any other predators.