For the second time in seven years, Tahlequah, a female orca, has been seen carrying the body of a dead calf. Researcher Barbara J. King says this heartbreaking behavior is further evidence of animals experiencing grief, connecting it to love and social bonds. King, author of 'How Animals Grieve,' emphasizes the growing scientific acceptance of animal emotions, citing numerous documented cases of sorrow and mourning across various species. This latest 'grief swim' reignites the conversation about animal consciousness and our ethical responsibilities towards them.
As the female orca known as Tahlequah once again carries the body of a dead calf through waters near Vancouver Island, for the second time in seven years, researcher Barbara J. King says there’s no mistaking the nature of the phenomenon.
“There have been more and more credibly documented reports across species of animals expressing sorrow when they survive the death of a loved one.” But it’s not just orcas that grieve. King’s research cites grief and mourning among a range of animals, from baboons, to elephants, cats and ducks. “We had to say that animals spent time in proximity or they exhibited an unusual facial expression, and we avoided those emotion words,” King said.King said orcas are highly intelligent animals that form tight social bonds, aware of their surroundings and relationships, and Tahlequah’s behaviour indicates she is indeed mourning the death of her calf.
King said it is important to limit “fanciful interpretations” of animal behaviours, but she said Tahlequah’s actions in recent weeks are clear.
Animal Grief Orcas Emotions Conservation Animal Welfare
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