maniac on Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:33 amA short Scientific American article that's quite interesting. A look at chimp awareness when a chimp dies of old age.
http://tinyurl.com/2fj4s4o
http://tinyurl.com/2fj4s4o
Do Chimps Understand Death
maniac- Wise Bird
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Brad- Administrator
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Hi Dave,
Interesting and sad article with videos of the chimpanzees.
It does make you wonder what animals understand about death, but it also shows that they do feel the loss of a loved family member. To me, that video demonstrated that the other chimp relatives of Pansy were confused, frustrated and angry that she stop responding & moving. The behaviours witnessed and described of them beating on her dead body tells me they were very upset and were hoping to elicit a response from her. It would almost seem like a child's response to finding a parent non responsive. I don't think these animals knew she had passed on at the time, but probably knew she was sick. I think animals would know a sleeping state, a member or family that is not feeling well, but perhaps death confuses them for a short while. I think it would be like a human who doesn't know how to check for a pulse or breathing, but finding a lifeless body, would you know for sure it was deceased?
Interesting and sad article with videos of the chimpanzees.
It does make you wonder what animals understand about death, but it also shows that they do feel the loss of a loved family member. To me, that video demonstrated that the other chimp relatives of Pansy were confused, frustrated and angry that she stop responding & moving. The behaviours witnessed and described of them beating on her dead body tells me they were very upset and were hoping to elicit a response from her. It would almost seem like a child's response to finding a parent non responsive. I don't think these animals knew she had passed on at the time, but probably knew she was sick. I think animals would know a sleeping state, a member or family that is not feeling well, but perhaps death confuses them for a short while. I think it would be like a human who doesn't know how to check for a pulse or breathing, but finding a lifeless body, would you know for sure it was deceased?_____________________________________
Yours truly,
Brad with Ricki and Glimmer
Ed- Racing Pigeon Mod
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I heard about this on the radio today.
Sad story but also makes you think... what do we REALLY KNOW about animals....
Sad story but also makes you think... what do we REALLY KNOW about animals....
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Ed wrote:I heard about this on the radio today.
Sad story but also makes you think... what do we REALLY KNOW about animals....
NOt always that much, Ed! More's the pity!
However, thanks to some wonderful humans, we ARE learning!!
Love and Hugs
Shi
