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Saturday, October 20, 2012
Magpies Grieve for Their Dead
With its aggressive behaviour and appetite for young chicks, the magpie doesn't have a particularly good image when it comes to compassion.
But according to some experts, the predator may have a tender side, feeling grief and routinely holding 'funerals' for fallen friends.
Dr. Marc Bekoff claims the rituals-- which involve birds laying 'wreaths' of grass alongside roadside corpses--are proof animals feel complex emotions.
Read more about the story here:
Magpies grieve for their dead (and even turn up for funerals) |
Labels:
animals,
compassion,
Dr. Marc Bekoff,
funerals,
grief,
Magpies
Location:
Portland, OR USA
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I didn't know this about magpies, but I believe most animals (if not all) do have feelings like that. Recently, I saw a video online (You Tube I think) of a baby elephant in Kenya being pulled out of a deep hole - and when he was freed he ran towards his mother across this vast field and she ran towards him until they met... it nearly moved me to tears. Beautiful to see.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, yes that story sounds so wonderful! I LOVE watching scenes like that.
DeleteI realize nature is both kind and cruel but I never watch shows where you see the cruelty, like when an animal is killing another animal.