Death and Grieving As Witnessed in Monkeys and Apes
There is nothing sadder than a parent mourning an infant. Such experience is not limited to humans. Non human primates (as well as other animals) mourn their dead family members and friends. Or at least they do show sign of sadness, grief and stress related to the death of a companion. In "Baboon Metaphysics, The Evolution of a Social Mind" Dorothy L. Cheney and Robert M. Seyfarth write about the theory of mind in baboons, the rudiments of consciousness and self-awareness. They describe the social life of baboons and how each individual acquires and constantly updates their knowledge about individuals' status and ranks within the group and talk about how female baboons react to loss: "The greatest stressors affecting female baboons are unpredictable events over which they have little control: predator attacks and infanticide." They go on to explain how female baboons cope by enlarging their social network, increasing their grooming activities and thereby lo...