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Do You Think Animals Experience Grief?

zbacku 2012/07/08 12:17:25
Related Topics: Animals, animal
Yes.
No.
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  • Flowers 2012/07/08 14:16:08 (edited)
    Yes.
    Flowers
    +16
    There was a storm where I live a week or so ago. In that storm, some manatees got trapped too close to the sea wall. the mother unfortunately didn't make it, but the baby stayed with her. They showed the baby hugging the body, but it saved the baby from being hurt by the wall as well. The baby and male would not leave until workers removed the mother from the water. THAT is grief. Animals have a lot more emotion and intelligence then we give them credit for. It's because we are arrogant and think some how we are the only intelligent species on this planet.
    >> See Replies

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Opinions

  • Bill 2012/07/08 16:24:40
    Yes.
    Bill
    +4
    Most definitely
    reply
  • (●̮̮̃•̃)(͡๏̯͡๏)(•̪●)Winches... 2012/07/08 16:19:49
    Yes.
    (●̮̮̃•̃)(͡๏̯͡๏)(•̪●)Winchester™♠
    +3
    Of course they do! They have feelings just like us...
    reply
  • jere.chievres 2012/07/08 16:19:30
    Yes.
    jere.chievres
    +3
    Absolutely
    reply
  • Alvin 2012/07/08 16:17:47
    Yes.
    Alvin
    +4
    They experience grief even more intensely than most humans ever do.
    reply
  • Muskoka Alvin 2012/07/08 23:49:36
    Muskoka
    Their emotions are not clouded and surpressed like humans are.
    reply
  • Caedus01 Sith Lord of the P... 2012/07/08 16:10:31
    Yes.
    Caedus01 Sith Lord of the PHAET
    +2
    I've seen it
    reply
  • Truth Matters 2012/07/08 15:56:43 (edited)
    No.
    Truth Matters
    +2
    I smashed a cockroach then waited for other cockroaches to gather around and grieve - so I could smash them all at once. Instead, they all scattered like unfeeling cowards.

    Seriously yes, I think some animals may feel uneasy by the sudden loss of another under some conditions.
    I think animals have absolutely no sense of morality - just a survival instinct.
    reply
  • Alvin Truth M... 2012/07/08 16:21:00
    Alvin
    +3
    There is a huge difference between a dog and a cockroach. A cockroach can live for days with its head cut off, a dog, and in most cases, human cannot do that. This is the classic apples and oranges comparison
    reply
  • Kapu Wa... Truth M... 2012/07/08 16:42:03
    Kapu Wahini
    +3
    cockroaches grieve in private, behind the walls. they know what is waiting for them if they show themselves

    stomping cockroach
    reply
  • Truth M... Kapu Wa... 2012/07/08 17:04:52
    Truth Matters
    +1
    Perhaps when the lights go out, the cockroaches will come out to grieve their fallen comrade?
    reply
  • Kapu Wa... Truth M... 2012/07/08 17:06:03
    Kapu Wahini
    +1
    Perhaps, but they will be on the lookout for you! :)
    reply
  • Truth M... Kapu Wa... 2012/07/08 17:27:17
    Truth Matters
    +1
    Now I know! The cockroaches will be grieving tonight. I will hide and wait for their wailing, then ambush them.

    You have enlightened me! Thank you
    reply
  • Kapu Wa... Truth M... 2012/07/09 03:56:40
    Kapu Wahini
    Just remember not to turn the lights on!
    reply
  • I. Car Rus Truth M... 2012/07/08 16:58:47
    I. Car Rus
    +1
    La Cucaraucha!
    reply
  • Leprach... Truth M... 2012/07/08 19:35:48
    Leprachaun999
    +1
    maybe they are rejoicing that you have spread their numbers. When you smash them they lay eggs everywhere
    reply
  • Yukari ... Truth M... 2012/07/09 01:27:31
    Yukari Sato
    That's not fair to compare survival to grief. If you were going to be killed by a tornado while at a funeral, you are saying you would allow the tornado to just whip you up without any thought for safety at all? Some animals might do so, and some people, but we are not all the same, and if people really did that, the human race would have died out long ago. Some of us kept our wits about us to continue living!
    reply
  • Truth M... Yukari ... 2012/07/09 01:41:32
    Truth Matters
    I totally agree with you. Perhaps you misread my words.
    I do not think survival instinct has anything to do with morality or true grief.
    That would be an Atheistic/ Reductionist / Naturalist construct I do not share.

    I know humans are very different from animals. I don't think animals truly grieve. I think they have insecurities, but have no real self-concept or consciously reflect on mortality, ponder the future, etc.
    reply
  • Yukari ... Truth M... 2012/07/09 14:26:54
    Yukari Sato
    Well, if grief means feeling sadness because someone they are used to is missed, then I have to disagree. I think animals are self aware enough to feel. They don't plan their futures as they have no purpose in life, but they do miss those that they are used to.
    reply
  • mich52 2012/07/08 15:46:48
    Undecided
    mich52
    I'm sure they do but the instint to survive probably doesn't allow much time for grieving..
    reply
  • Queen Katherine 2012/07/08 15:33:59
    Yes.
    Queen Katherine
    +6
    Yes they do, when my oldest cat had to be put to sleep one of my other cats who grew up with her who is very sociable laid down on our couch for a whole week and any time someone tried to pet her she didn't really respond till finally I was sitting on a chair next to her with my hand next to her and I was crying over the loss of my cat and she looked up and licked my hand (which she's never done) almost as if to say "it's ok"
    reply
  • Missile Queen K... 2012/07/08 15:35:44
    Missile
    +4
    That has brought tears to my eyes. x
    reply
  • Queen K... Missile 2012/07/08 15:36:44 (edited)
    Queen Katherine
    +4
    It brought tears to eyes writing it =)
    reply
  • Missile Queen K... 2012/07/08 15:43:04
    Missile
    +5
    Hug
    reply
  • Queen K... Missile 2012/07/08 16:02:22 (edited)
    Queen Katherine
    +3
    cat hug
    reply
  • MickieDee Queen K... 2012/07/08 17:11:19
    MickieDee
    +2
    I had a pair of dogs (male and female) who spent most of their lives together. When the older male died of kidney failure, the younger female carried his water bowl around with her. She slept with it and played with it. I am sure his smell was still on that bowl.
    reply
  • Queen K... MickieDee 2012/07/08 17:19:25
    Queen Katherine
    +1
    Aww that's heartbreaking ='(
    reply
  • Gregory Kramida 2012/07/08 15:33:47
    Care To Comment?
    Gregory Kramida
    +1
    Well, that depends on how you define "grief" now, doesn't it?
    It would also depend on what "animal" you're speaking of. Chimpanzee mothers are not only capable of grieving for their own child, but can also understand the same emotion in human mothers and sympathize (Next of Kin, by Roger Fauts).
    Care to share an experience of a grieving mosquito?
    reply
  • Muskoka Gregory... 2012/07/08 23:52:19
    Muskoka
    I suspect no one has studied that. But that does not mean they do not.
    reply
  • Gregory... Muskoka 2012/07/17 01:26:41
    Gregory Kramida
    Insect memory has been studied, and and it was found they can remember route information. Things essential to survival. Not much else. Their cerebral ganglia just don't have enough circuitry for any complex emotions.
    But we can speculate that many mammals do experience some degree of grief and attachment. I'm no expert, but this degree seems to decrease in proportion with the size of the cerebral cortex.
    reply
  • Muskoka Gregory... 2012/07/17 02:06:01 (edited)
    Muskoka
    This is one study I did find on bees and another on ants.

    http://jeb.biologists.org/con...

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...
    reply
  • Picasso's Cat 2012/07/08 15:22:57
    Yes.
    Picasso's Cat
    +6
    Previously it was believed that grief was only a human emotion, but studies have shown that other animals have shown grief or grief-like states during the death of another animal they were close to.
    For example, some dogs will often sniff, poke, and look at its lifeless mate or friends body and want to stay around it for several days before it may finally be able to move on without it.
    Eagles find it very difficult for it to detach itself from its dead mate, and will stay in the area it died in for months before moving on.
    Yes, animals experience grief just like we humans do.

    eagles mate for life
    reply
  • rand 2012/07/08 15:15:47
    Yes.
    rand
    +8
    Some more than others. My dog behaves mournfully even when my wife is gone overnight. I notice that there are yet any dissenting votes. People with pets know.
    reply
  • Redneck 2012/07/08 14:58:32
    Yes.
    Redneck
    +2
    our lab was obviously sad for several days after our litttle dog got squished by the school bus, but they also get over it pretty quick.
    reply
  • Muskoka Redneck 2012/07/08 23:54:11
    Muskoka
    Some take months to recover from grief. If you have ever watch the move Hachi, that dog greived for over 10 years. it was a true story.
    reply
  • Ken 2012/07/08 14:54:29
    Yes.
    Ken
    +3
    Like humans.
    reply
  • Linnster 2012/07/08 14:44:12 (edited)
    Yes.
    Linnster
    +4
    Definitely. Perhaps not in the same way as humans, but a dog will certainly grieve at the loss of a good master.
    reply
  • Dwight-AFCL>dogsbody 2012/07/08 14:33:01
    Yes.
    Dwight-AFCL>dogsbody
    +5
    I do believe that animals feel emotion.
    reply
  • Gooky 2012/07/08 14:29:56
    Yes.
    Gooky
    +6
    Of course they do...
    reply
  • Leia-Lou 2012/07/08 14:29:47
    Yes.
    Leia-Lou
    +6
    Yes, they definitely do... I've experienced it...
    Animals are very in tune with emotions... And after all, aren't we humans just animals?!
    reply
  • Amy ♥ HELL HATH NO FURY ♥ 2012/07/08 14:16:31
    Yes.
    Amy ♥ HELL HATH NO FURY ♥
    +8
    I don't think it, I KNOW it =\
    reply
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