The loss of a loved one brings with it a rush of emotions and feelings, which is why it was thought that humans were the only ones capable of experiencing grief. However, it has been discovered that many other animals also go through this process and in fact, some of them develop funeral rites to deal with the loss of one of their own. Elephants are a clear example that death is not a concept belonging to man, but that they are also capable of grieving the loss of members of the herd.
Elephants also experience duels
Sanjeeta Pokharel, a biologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, spent four years deep in the dense jungle of India to understand the thanatological behavior of Asian elephants. Pachyderms usually live in regions far from populations, so their behavior in specific cases such as the death of a member of the herd is unknown. This is why grieving situations have rarely been witnessed in this type of animal, however, technology has helped collect evidence that indicates that like humans, Asian elephants also go through mourning and have their own rites. funeral homes to face them.
Although animal behavior specialists have been trying for decades to observe elephants in genuine situations such as the death of a herd member, it has proven difficult because they are elusive animals that live in the heart of the jungle. Pokharel herself, in her four-year expedition, was only able to witness one case of an elephant responding to the loss of a fellow elephant.
This is precisely why Pokharel, in search of more evidence, turned to technology. Both she and her team from the Center for Ecological Sciences of the Indian Institute of Sciences turned to the YouTube platform. There they entered searches for elephants responding to the death of a close being and found a total of 39 videos that capture 24 cases of thanatological behavior in Asian elephants, in a period ranging from 2010 to 2021.
An act of respect in the face of pain
The results of the research published in Royal Society Open Science show that Asian elephants also grieve the loss of a herd member. Within the thanatological behaviors to deal with loss, it was observed that pachyderms group in a circle around the deceased member and caress it with their trunks, and even give small kicks as if they were trying to revive it. They remain like this for a long period, in a circle of vigil to say goodbye to their companion. On other occasions it was possible to observe how the members of the pack give small pats and caresses with their trunks on the heads of some members who are still alive, which would indicate that they offer comfort to each other.
Information was also collected about the behavior of mothers when losing their young children. On four occasions it was recorded how adult elephants picked up their calves with their trunks and carried them for days, possibly weeks, through the forest.
The evidence suggests that elephants face mourning as a family and, like human beings, emit trumpets, roars and screams during thanatological behavior. It is not known to what extent they understand the process of death, but it is known that after some time, they also learn to let go and continue on their path.
References: Pokharel, S. Viewing the rare through public lenses: insights into dead calf carrying and other thanatological responses in Asian elephants using YouTube videos. Royal Society, DOI