{"id":1212,"date":"2023-02-04T22:43:54","date_gmt":"2023-02-04T22:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinggiants.org\/?p=1212"},"modified":"2023-02-28T00:06:42","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T00:06:42","slug":"do-deer-mourn-their-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinggiants.org\/do-deer-mourn-their-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Deer Mourn Their Dead? Are There Emotions That Trigger Grief"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Deer<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The idea that animals don\u2019t have feelings is one of the most damaging notions in modern western society. Thankfully, those with half a brain cell know this to be categorically false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been understood for millennia that animals feel pain, and it\u2019s clear that they feel fear, as they have sharp fight or flight instincts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those with pets such as dogs or cats will also know that animals can be either happy or depressed, just like we humans can, so the idea that creatures don\u2019t feel is absurd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether they experience complex emotions, on the other hand, is still up for debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, do they feel grief or mourn their dead?<\/strong> We view this as a very human response to mortality, but we also see ourselves as separate from nature when in actual fact, we are nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, it\u2019s not too absurd to suggest that, say, a deer mourns their herd-mates when they go to deer heaven, but is this actually the case? Let\u2019s explore this idea further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Deer Feel Complex Emotions?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Arguably, all emotions are highly complex, So let\u2019s just clarify at this early stage in our investigation that by \u201ccomplex emotions\u201d, I\u2019m really referring to those that we see as fundamentally human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the feelings assumed to be linked to our higher intelligence and advanced civilization. With that out of the way, on with the task at hand!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientifically speaking, there is no hard proof that any animals experience complex emotions,<\/a> but that\u2019s not to say that they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you can imagine, this topic is remarkably tricky to research in any empirical manner, especially considering any studies that may help will likely involve a fair amount of animal cruelty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of this, we simply can\u2019t say for sure whether deer mourn their dead; however, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that suggests these majestic creatures do indeed grieve for their fallen friends.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Why It\u2019s Reasonable To Assume Deer Mourn Their Dead?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A prerequisite of developing feelings of grief is an awareness of death. This is something we humans know a little more about. Animals are aware of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only do they have an innate sense of mortality, they see death in action when their friends and family pass on in the wild. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, deer do indeed have some sort of relationship with death, meaning they could potentially mourn their dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Grief?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Next, let\u2019s put the microscope on human grief<\/a> for a moment. What exactly is it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d suggest that it\u2019s a deep yearning to have someone back who simply isn\u2019t going to return, which is actually rather simple when you think about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, all the pageantry that goes into dealing with the dead in human society won\u2019t be seen anywhere else in the animal kingdom; we are uniquely complex in that way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, feeling sad that someone has departed for good is about as rudimentary as feelings get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loss and Confusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We see countless pieces of evidence that the death of family affects all manner of animals a great deal. In fact, we don\u2019t even need to venture into the wild to observe this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go to any dairy facility where they tear calves away from their mothers after only a few hours or perhaps even minutes, and you\u2019ll hear both the mother and child cry out for one another until they don\u2019t have the energy to cry out anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a deathless example, but the same feelings of loss and confusion are present when mother and child are torn from one another as they are when a loved one passes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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