TAMIL NADU, India — Elephants appear to care for their dead just like humans do, evening burying them face-up, a stunning new study reveals. Researchers in India discovered five dead Asian elephant calves buried on their backs in irrigation ditches in northern Bengal.
Warning: Sensitive Images Of Elephants In Study
They observed that the deceased were carried by trunks and legs by adult elephants to the grave site before being buried in a “legs-upright-position.” The mourning elephants then vocalized their grief with trumpets and roars. Study authors believe this discovery of burial sites in the irrigation drains of local tea estates also reflect how elephants are adapting to the presence of humans nearby.
“Rampant environmental changes and forest destruction push elephants, both Asian and African, to explore human spaces to fulfil their dietary and ecological requirements and, consequently in shared spaces many ‘novel’ elephant behaviors come into the limelight,” the research team writes in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
So, what drives these gentle giants to such lengths to honor their dead children? The study ventured into the realms of animal thanatology, the science of death among non-human species, to find answers. Elephants are known for their strong social bonds and remarkable memory — traits that are poignantly reflected in their mourning practices.
The burial of the calves is not a mere instinctual response but a deeply emotional process, reflecting the herd’s collective mourning and respect for the dead, researchers say. The team in India also observed that following the burial, the elephants exhibit behaviors indicative of grief and loss, such as avoiding the burial sites and altering their walking pathways through the estates.
This phenomenon raises compelling questions about the cognitive and emotional capacities of elephants. It challenges the long-held notion that humans are the only species capable of experiencing complex emotions like grief. Additionally, it underscores the urgent need for conservation efforts that go beyond the preservation of habitats to understanding and respecting the complex lives of these creatures — which may include honoring their burial sites.
The researchers note that each of the baby elephants was no more than 12 months-old at the time of their deaths. According to the team, each likely died due to illness, poor living conditions in the area, or an accident near the irrigation drains.
“We encourage science and social science evidence-based thanatological studies for not just sentient beings but also non-sentient beings and less-loved species in a changing natural and socio-political environment,” the researchers conclude.
??? Just Like Humans??
I’ve not seen any cemeteries where people are buried with their legs and hands jutting out from the grave! 😉