Whales Mourn Their Dead, Just Like Us

[Dittohead not!]

[h=1]Whales Mourn Their Dead, Just Like Us[/h]

Smart and often sociable, whales forge tight bonds with one another. Now it’s clear that those bonds can be stronger than death itself.

More than six species of the marine mammals have been seen clinging to the body of a dead compatriot, probably a podmate or relative, scientists say in a new study.

The gulf between humans and other higher order animals is not as wide as we like to think.

Such findings add to the debate about whether animals feel emotion—and, if they do, how such emotions should influence human treatment of other creatures.

Can anyone who has ever owned a dog or been owned by a cat doubt that animals feel the same emotions humans do?

 

[Captain Adverse]

[h=1]Whales Mourn Their Dead, Just Like Us[/h]

The gulf between humans and other higher order animals is not as wide as we like to think.

Can anyone who has ever owned a dog or been owned by a cat doubt that animals feel the same emotions humans do?

Cetaceans are highly intelligent creatures.

IMO they are clearly sentient beings deserving of respect, rights, and rational consideration. The fact that they are not designed to be tool wielding or land walking like we humans is no reason to treat them like disposable resources. They are well designed for living in a fluid that covers 71% of the earth's surface.

In fact, the way we treat most animals and the rest nature disturbs me greatly.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

[h=1]Whales Mourn Their Dead, Just Like Us[/h]

The gulf between humans and other higher order animals is not as wide as we like to think.

Can anyone who has ever owned a dog or been owned by a cat doubt that animals feel the same emotions humans do?

This. Anyone still debating that many animals feel emotion has either never spent time with one, or isn't capable of reading emotion.

Cats and dogs aren't half as bright as whales, elephants, and other highly intelligent species, and they still have very clear emotions, often right from the moment you first meet them.

I don't think they have all the same ones though. I've never seen spite in an animal. Nor existential ennui. They spend a lot more time appreciating what's good, right now. Or what's bad, but unlike humans, they're always open to having the mood shifted.

Although the very highly intelligent ones do show evidence of being able to contemplate time and experiences. Apparently dolphins chat about this sort of thing to solve problems. Elephants have full-on death rituals, sometimes even for other species. Weirdly, magpies show evidence of doing this as well. They're extremely intelligent, despite our phrase of "bird brain."

Humans are a combination of huge brain, and really handy physiology, no pun intended. No other highly intelligent creatures have a physiology that lends itself so easily to building. Hands: very cool little inventions.

But many feel emotions, and a few seem intelligent enough to be... well, really, weirdly relatable.

 

[Fenton]

My 2 year old Labrabull tries to pull this sulking guilt trip thing on me when I forget to walk him.

He'll lay his head on the arm of my recliner and stare up at me until I break down and grab his leash

 

[Thoreau72]

I suspect many species mourn their dead.

I have observed Peacocks do it.