Anxiety, suffering, self-sacrifice, despair, empathy, solidarity, depression, compassion, sadness… These are human emotions. But just humans? Although many people believe it, scientists know it is not. Moreover Some animal species know what feelings of loss and complex emotional pain are.. A research team from the Indian Institute of Sciences analyzed the behavior of elephants in the face of the death of their herd members. And the results reveal that these gigantic animals are much more “human” than previously thought.
Yes, elephants mourn their dead. And they’re spying on them and possibly burying them. The latest research on these gigantic animals was carried out by a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Sciences who analyzed videos captured by amateurs to learn more about how elephants react when a herd member dies. His article has just been published in the journal ‘Royal Society Open Science’.
Other scientists had previously found evidence Some non-human creatures, such as monkeys and dolphins, respond to the death of one of their groups.especially mothers who lost calves.
But researchers at the Indian Institute of Science have recorded very little research on how elephants react when one of their own dies. Due to its rarity, they faced the challenge of capturing video evidence of elephants reacting to death.
Scientists simply cannot follow elephants until someone dies due to time constraints. But the authors of this study predicted that other people would witness such events, and that some may have recorded the action.
Trying to raise the dead
So they searched social media, more specifically YouTube, and found 24 videos showing elephants reacting to the death of one of their herd members, often very young.
Researchers found that the most common reaction was to touch or caress the carcass, usually the face or ears. They also observed cases with elephants. sniffed the corpses. On other occasions, members of a group of elephants also performed. various types of noise in response to a death and some tried to reanimate the dead creature.
The researchers’ conclusion is that elephants not only do they notice when one of their members dies, they also “actively grieve”, especially when mothers lose calves. In fact, in five cases, They carry their dead calves for a few days after the mothers die.
In these reactions, The adult female carrying the dead calf was usually not alone, but was accompanied or surrounded by other members of the herd.. In one case, the mother abused a young elephant and did not allow it to approach the calf’s corpse.
There were 19 cases where elephants were observed discovering corpsesapproach, explore, and “exhibit” human-like behavior towards dying and dead individuals,” the study authors say.
There was also often tries to lift or hold corpses and scientists came to the conclusion that what tries to resurrect the dead and the dyingby gently pushing with the teeth and lifting with the help of the trunk and legs.
protect corpses
In one of the videos, an adult female and other pod members rescue and assist a calf that fell into a ditch and later died. touch the deadincluding a variety body lotionsIt was the most common theatological reaction as it was recorded in 21 cases.
Voiceovers—especially barritos—and non-voice answers was evident towards dying or dead individuals in nine cases (the remaining 16 cases did not respond with audio or were masked by commentary or music added to the video).
Elephants in most cases watched or guarded their dead, sometimes sleeping next to the carcass.. And once, a blind woman was actively searching for a carcass that had been removed.
Most of the elephants remained outlaws or they stayed close to the carcasses, sometimes refusing to leave even during rescue attempts (according to the video descriptions, it took between 5 and 28 hours to separate the elephants from the carcass).
In six cases, the elephants commanded similar behavior. attack towards people (charging, body movements, drafts or rustling) to discourage attempts to approach dead or dying animal.
there was also social reactions (calming-like behaviors such as body touching, head-to-head touching and smelling, or showing calm responses) and others such as “frequent urination and defecation, staying in one place even after the body has worked.” removed dead, looking for the carcass, twisting the trunk, touching the lower jaw and holding the trunk between the lips, visits from larger herds, grazing next to the carcass, sleeping next to a dead mother…”, study collects.
Similarities with primates and marine mammals
“The tanatological responses of elephants are remarkable resemblances to certain species of primates and marine mammals with strong social bonds and large brains with enhanced cognitive abilities“, conclude researchers.
It’s not the first study to show such traits in elephants. A study from the University of Sussex in 2005 showed that: elephants can recognize and interact with the remains of other congeners years after death.
Also this they have the ability to remember where family members died and to visit it often.. And even that they can do something like funeral rites and “bury their dead‘ covers them with earth and vegetables.
Elephants have an extraordinary ability to memorize and remember. They create very complex interactions within the group and They are much more empathetic to each other than humans. They have the largest brain of all land animals and as many neurons as humans.
They pass the mirror test (recognize themselves in it), so they are self-aware. can use nature’s tools and like people clean food before eating. They have a great learning ability They show understanding and compassion towards their fellows and even smaller species..
Reference Work: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.211740
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