Elaine Knox
Recent years have seen a surge of findings that suggest we aren’t the only animals to mourn the death of loved ones. Scientists have documented cases like that of the orca Tahlequah, seen carrying her dead calf for 17 days and over 1600 kilometres, or young gorilla Segasira, who attempted to suckle from his mother’s corpse despite already having been weaned, in a futile attempt to ease his distress at her lack of response.
Although these heartbreaking stories feel relatable, we should be wary of assuming that…
