Chimps Confront Death in Human-Like Ways

By Jennifer Viegas | Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:00 PM ET

From holding deathbed vigils to comforting the dying, chimpanzees face death in human-like ways that indicate their awareness of death is probably much more developed than previously thought, suggest two new studies.

The papers, both published in the journal Current Biology, provide rare, intimate glimpses of chimpanzees dealing with death.

For the first study, scientists observed how three adult chimpanzees reacted when an elderly female, named Pansy, gradually passed away in an indoor enclosure at Blair Drummond Safari Park in Stirling, Scotland. The over 50-year-old Pansy had grown increasingly lethargic before lying down on the floor one day after eating.

"In the days before Pansy died, the others were notably attentive towards her, and they even altered their routine sleeping arrangements to remain by her, by sleeping on the floor in a room where they don't usually sleep," lead author James Anderson told Discovery News.

more

http://news.discovery.com/animals/chimpanzee-death-dying-behavior.html

:grouphug:

Dolphins have been observed physically pushing injured or sick comrades to the surface so they could breathe. Compassion is hardly unique to humans, although it may take different forms depending on the species involved.

alas...

My three ancient doggies (a 16 year old female great dane, a 17 year old border collie and a 17 year old black lab) were quite aware of the end. The lab, Buddy, had spondilosis spinal spurs which eventually snapped and paralyzed him leaving us to care for him around the clock - he wasn't unhappy or uncomfortable, but the inability to move adequately accelerated a congestive heart condition and we knew it was the end within a few days. The other two went out of their way to pay attention to him and lay next to him and basically turned into "helicopter" dogs until we all said our goodbyes.

When I had Brandy put down (the great Dane, final final ESRD, at home, in my lap on a beautiful Saturday morning), my chihuahua and Shadow (the border collie) were quite depressed. My demented little family that I raised from unwanted puppies all died of old age within months of each other.

They know, and there isn't the tiniest bit of "anthropomorphizing" in that observation.

...it sounds like you had quite the amazing pup family there.

Kudos to you for giving those animal friends a wonderful, happy and warm home
surrounded by other sweet dogs. I am sure they gained so much from your
rescuing them and giving them a terrific life.

We had a pound puppy when I was a kid that had a disease the vet couldn't fix (distemper, I think, but I was a kid and my parents didn't share that with me) our cat tended to him and slept with him until he was gone.

My husband and I had two cats who were 18 and 19 that died two weeks apart from each other. They were constant companions for seventeen of those years, and when one died, the other stopped eating, grooming, caring.

I find it amazing that you had a Great Dane that lived so long. You must have taken exceptionally good care of Brandy. :)

Lying in the wheelbarrow is the body of Dorothy, a chimpanzee who died suddenly of natural causes; the people in the scene are preparing to bury her. Behind the fence is a quiet gathering of her friends.



http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/10/chimpanzee_farewell.php