Animals also suffer heartbreak when their loved ones die. A recent video on Twitter shows the heartache of a dolphin who was seen pushing her dead calf through Indian Shores, Florida.
The video was shared by See Through Canoe, a company that manufactures transparent canoes.
Researchers from Tethys Research Institute observing a bottlenose dolphin population of the Amvrakikos Gulf in the Mediterranean Sea witnessed a similar incident in 2006.
“The mother never separated from her calf.... [She] seemed unable to accept the death,” Gonzalvo said.
A year later he observed something similar when he saw a pod of dolphins trying to help a 3-month-old calf who was dying and sinking.
“The group appeared stressed, swimming erratically,” he said. “Adults were trying to help the dying animal stay afloat, but it kept sinking.”
Mourning Behavior Among Animals
Researchers have reported many sightings of cetaceans carrying their dead young ones and appearing to grieve, according to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).“If we want to be sure, we will have to interview them directly,” said Italian biologist Melissa Reggente, according to NWF.
Mourning-like behavior has also been found in other animals, including elephants, giraffes, chimpanzees, and other primates, and possibly turtles, bison, and birds.
“I’ve spent much of my career studying long-lived social mammals, where group behaviors are critical for their survival,” said Baird.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that these animals have strong bonds with other individuals. In cases like that—the behavior of animals toward the premature death of their own offspring—it would be hard for me to imagine that it could be anything other than exhibiting grief.”
Dolphins as Exceptional Parents
Dolphins are considered great parents—they’re socially skilled, intelligent, agile, joyful, and playful animals that are emotionally intelligent, according to One Green Planet.Like human babies, dolphin calves don’t have survival skills, and as soon they are born, dolphin mothers become their teachers. Researchers say both male and female dolphins have exceptional parenting skills.
The first lesson that a dolphin mother teaches the calf immediately after birth is how to breathe. As a calf grows, it learns how to swim, eat, breath, and survive from its mother.
Juveniles stay with their mother until they mature, which is five to ten years. One Green Planet states that it can be tough to be a new mother in the sea, and the dolphin mother always has a pod to support her.
No wonder such intelligent and emotional creatures would grieve when their young one dies.