1. Elephants – A Long-Lasting Bond
While humans are known for their deep emotional bonds with family, many animals also grieve when they lose their babies. Yet not all creatures respond the same way. Some mourn visibly, while others focus only on survival, even if that means letting go of their young. Here’s a look at how different species react to loss. Elephants are among the most expressive mourners in the animal kingdom. When a baby dies, the mother may stay by the body for days, gently touching it with her trunk and even trying to wake it. Herd members often gather in silence, forming what looks like a vigil. Some elephants have been observed returning to the spot where the calf died months or even years later, as if visiting a grave.
2. Orcas – A Powerful Connection
Orca mothers form a near-unbreakable connection with their calves, and when one dies, the mourning is heartbreaking to witness. Mothers have been seen carrying their dead calves for days, even weeks, pushing them through the water as if unwilling to let go. Other pod members often stay close, offering support by swimming beside the grieving mother. These acts show that grief is not isolated but shared across the group. Scientists say this behavior is a striking example of emotional intelligence and social strength in orcas, who rely heavily on family bonds to thrive.
3. Giraffes – A Less Emotional Response
Giraffes, unlike elephants or orcas, show little outward mourning when a calf dies. While mothers fiercely protect their young from predators, once a calf is lost, the mother usually moves on quickly. There are rare moments when a mother lingers near a dead calf, but it is not a prolonged or repeated behavior. Part of this difference comes from giraffes’ looser social structure, where herds are fluid and less emotionally tied compared to elephants’ tight family units. For giraffes, survival often means conserving energy and focusing on moving forward rather than staying with the loss.
4. Chimpanzees – A Grieving Mother
Chimpanzees, our close relatives, display touching signs of grief when a baby dies. Mothers have been observed carrying the lifeless body for days, sometimes weeks, refusing to let it go. During this period, the mother may seem withdrawn, eating less and showing less interest in normal activities. Other chimpanzees in the group may also show interest, approaching gently or sitting quietly near the mother. This behavior highlights the deep emotional connection between chimpanzee mothers and their young. It also suggests that mourning is not just about instinct, but about love, memory, and loss that feels very familiar to us.
5. Gulls and Other Birds – A Quick Adaptation
Birds, including gulls, penguins, and many others, usually do not display long periods of mourning when chicks die. A parent bird may show initial signs of distress, calling out, hovering near the body, or appearing restless, but this behavior tends to fade quickly. Instead, many birds focus on reproduction as their survival strategy. Some will lay new eggs soon after a loss, while others redirect their care to surviving chicks in the nest. This quick adaptation ensures that their energy is channeled toward keeping the species thriving, even if it looks cold compared to the emotional mourning we see in mammals.
6. Cows – A Mother’s Agony
Cows form close bonds with their calves, and when one dies, the mother often shows unmistakable signs of grief. Farmers have reported cows standing over the body for hours, mooing loudly as if calling for their calf. Some mothers refuse to eat, pace restlessly, or isolate themselves from the herd. This distress can linger for days, showing that cows experience a real emotional response to loss. While the intensity of mourning eventually fades, the initial reaction is strong and heart-wrenching, reminding us that even animals we see as “farm stock” feel deep maternal attachment.
7. Frogs – A Different Kind of Loss
For frogs, reproduction is about numbers, not bonds. Most species lay hundreds or even thousands of eggs, with the understanding that only a small fraction will survive predators and environmental threats. Because of this, frogs show no signs of mourning when eggs or tadpoles are lost. Instead, they quickly move on and may lay more eggs shortly after. While this may seem cold compared to mammals, it is an effective survival strategy. By investing in quantity rather than emotional care, frogs increase the odds that at least some offspring make it to adulthood.
8. Kangaroos – Sacrificing the Weak for the Strong
Kangaroos face harsh environments in the wild, and survival often requires difficult choices. A mother kangaroo may abandon a weaker joey or even allow it to die if resources are scarce, focusing instead on the stronger one. This is partly because kangaroos can pause pregnancies, delaying the growth of a new embryo until conditions improve. While this strategy may appear brutal, it is nature’s way of helping the species endure droughts, food shortages, and other threats. The mother’s choice to sacrifice one joey ensures that her limited energy is spent on the offspring most likely to survive.
9. Polar Bears – Tough Love in the Wild
Life in the Arctic leaves little room for weakness. Polar bear mothers sometimes kill or abandon cubs that are too weak or sick to survive the extreme cold and demanding hunts. Raising cubs in such conditions requires enormous energy, and a mother with limited resources cannot afford to invest in offspring unlikely to reach maturity. By focusing her efforts on the stronger cubs, she improves the chances of at least some surviving to adulthood. Though harsh, this behavior is a survival-driven response to one of the planet’s most unforgiving environments.
10. Rodents – The Deadly Instinct of Stress
Rodents like rats and mice often live in crowded, competitive environments where resources are scarce. Under extreme stress, such as overcrowding, food shortages, or danger, a mother may abandon her litter or even kill her babies. This instinct is not cruelty but a survival mechanism, allowing the mother to conserve energy for herself and possibly for future litters born in better conditions. Because rodents reproduce quickly and often, their strategy is to maximize chances over time rather than protect each individual baby. It’s a stark example of how nature sometimes prioritizes survival over emotional attachment.
11. Dolphins – Grief and Healing
Dolphins, known for their intelligence and playful nature, also display heartbreaking signs of mourning when a calf dies. Mothers have been seen carrying the body for days, nudging it toward the surface as if urging it to breathe again. During this time, other dolphins often surround the grieving mother, swimming slowly alongside her in what looks like a gesture of comfort. This collective support shows how tightly bonded dolphin pods are and how loss affects the group as a whole. Much like elephants and orcas, dolphins remind us that grief is not uniquely human but a shared experience in the animal kingdom.
12. Lions – The Circle of Life
Lions live in prides where survival is tied to strength and lineage, and this shapes their response to loss. Lionesses fiercely protect their cubs, but if a cub is weak, sick, or becomes separated from the pride, the mother may abandon it to ensure her energy is focused on stronger offspring. Male lions, when taking over a pride, often kill cubs that are not their own so the females will mate with them and produce their lineage. While lions may not mourn in the way elephants or chimpanzees do, their behaviors reflect nature’s emphasis on survival and the continuation of strong bloodlines.
13. Hyenas – Survival of the Fittest
Hyenas live in highly competitive clans where dominance and resource access matter most. Mothers do care for their cubs, but in times of stress, they may abandon or even kill weaker young to concentrate on those with the best chance of survival. Sibling rivalry can be fierce too, with stronger cubs outcompeting weaker ones for milk and attention. This harsh reality reflects the intense pressures of survival in the wild, where every ounce of energy counts. While it may appear cruel, it ensures the clan remains strong in the face of predators and scarcity.
14. Baboons – Harsh Realities of the Wild
Baboons are social primates with strong group bonds, but when it comes to raising babies, survival instincts sometimes override affection. If a baby is weak or ill, a mother may abandon it, shifting her attention to future offspring instead. In some cases, male baboons may also harm infants that are not their own, similar to lions. While mothers do show love and protection for healthy babies, the instinct to prioritize strength ensures that only those most likely to thrive make it to adulthood. This balance of care and survival shows the difficult trade-offs faced in the wild.
15. Sea Turtles – No Mourning, Only Survival
Sea turtles take perhaps the most detached approach of all. After laying hundreds of eggs in a sandy nest, the mother leaves and never returns. When the hatchlings emerge weeks later, they face a perilous journey to the ocean, with predators waiting at every turn. Most will not survive, but the sheer number of eggs laid ensures that enough make it to adulthood to continue the cycle. There is no nurturing or mourning, only a strategy built on numbers and chance. It’s a powerful reminder of the many ways nature balances loss and survival.
Whether through mourning or hard survival choices, every species has evolved its own way of coping with loss. Together, these behaviors paint a vivid picture of nature’s balance between love, grief, and survival.
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This story 15 Animals That Mourn Their Babies, and Some That Don’t was first published on Daily FETCH
