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Anonymous
Some say that animals cannot comprehend death.

what do you think?
>> Anonymous
I think that humans cannot TRULY comprehend death either.
>> B'gok
Probably the same idiot who says animals can't feel pain. Fine. I lock you in a small room with a nice pitbull. Slap the dog in the face. Try to convince yourself you are bleeding because the dog misunderstood your hand gesture or something.
>> #fortune Anonymous
>>255432

Such an animalperson you, yet you automatically chose a pitbull as an example. lol.
Not every pitbull is owned by a drunkard scrapyard owner you know.
>> Anonymous
>>255432

Anything with nerves can understand pain.

Death is another deal all together.
>> Anonymous
What the fuck is that?
>> Anonymous
>>255441

Portuguese Man'O'war
>> Anonymous
well, with companion animals like dogs, they obviously get said if their owner dies, but i doubt they understand that he's dead.. just that he's not there anymore

and of course they wouldn't comprehend their own death cuz they'd be too dead to notice
>> Anonymous
>>255453

in b4 pic of dog fucking owner in bodybag.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
It's hard to argue that animals understand what death is, the only time they actually flee is either instincts telling them to run from a death-threat eg. a tiger, or when they feel pain.

That said, this may be a little off-topic, but i remember once i was driving home from work and i saw a dead crow on the floor by the side of the road. there was a whole flock of crows in neighbouring trees and on the fence around the crow, all facing it, the whole thing looked exactly like a crow-funeral. But then, as>>255453said, it was probably the sadness that their companion wasn't with them anymore.
>> Anonymous
Elephants recognise the SKELETONS of members of their own herd that died years ago. When they find such remains, they gather round, sniff, pick up and caress the bones and tusks, and the mood of the herd clearly changes. They do not do this with other animal bones.
>> Anonymous
>>255428
I don't think that many animals can comprehend death, because for this you must experience death in a way or know something about it.

For example: highly developed mammal sees one of its group die and from there on understands that he is nor more. Probably it understood what death means.

Squids (like in op's pic) can't see or experience things, they don't even have something like a brain. No pain, no communication, no thinking or comprehending anything at all. How could such an animal comprehend death?

This topic should be more about "what animals could comprehend death" than "if animals comprehend death". It totally depends on the complexicity and intelligence of an animal to decide if it might understand its meaning or not.

>>255432
Whatever you say about "animals and pain", there's a lot of animals who can't feel it (especially low-developed) and many who might feel it in a different way than humans do, because we have too many varieties and definitions of pain that alter in any given situation.
But that's offtopic...
>> Anonymous
>>255465
elephants are extremely smart, they're not like most animals
>> Anonymous
>>255466

YOU ARE RETARDED, THAT IS NOT A SQUID. YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.
>> Anonymous
Yes, of course, if they didnt understand it then there would be no survival instinct. However, they do not create any mysticality around it, neither do i. Death is death, i understand it as animals do, i do not put any human myths into it.
>> Anonymous
>>255466
I laughed so unbelievably hard at how stupid you are.
>> Demyx's Landmaster !!LRYbbMT7F9I
>>255466
>there's a lot of animals who can't feel pain

pain is something all animals can sense because pain in a very important sensation, dipshit.
>> Anonymous
>sign up

http://www.outwar.com/rec/mystikal

good shit
>> Anonymous
>>255428
eww, someone toss it back to sea
>> Anonymous
>>255554
Some have no functioning nervous system (like jellyfish), and some have brains too simple to handle the information of pain. I'm not talking about vertebrates or athropods, but about less complex orders of animals.

Where is your pain now, flaming faggot?
>> Anonymous
>OP here sign up

http://www.outwar.com/rec/mystikal

good shit
>> Anonymous
many animals communal animals such as dogs, chimps, dolphins, meerkats, certan species of birds and elephants understand death and actually can mourn a fallen one by staying around the corpse for along period of time carressing it or staying around it, but they cant dwell on it forlong because they have more imediate matters like not getting eaten or searching for food so they don't have a luxury of mourning for long
>> Anonymous
>>255574
i apologize for my writing im in a hurry.
>> Anonymous
>>255465
They seem to take an interest in human bones
>> Anonymous
>>255575
-.-
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
Is that a Man-o-war?

I wanna pop it.
>> Anonymous
Man O War on head
>> Anonymous
manowar
>> moot !Ep8pui8Vw ## Admin ­­­­­­­­­
Whales.
>> Frankengun !HgIdo42VU2
>>255619
Shenanigans?
>> Gokanma
When wolf dies, even if hes/shes bottom of the pack, the one that`s everyone is picking on dies, rest of the pack come to the place where he/she died to howl, wolf funerals. They might not grasp the concept of death but they know when someone is gone for good. Elephants also get huge emotional reaction when they encounter remains of another elephant, Not to mention whales which someone already mentioned, they comprehend death.
>> Anonymous
IMHO, I think that higher orders of mammals can comprehend death, both what it is and what it does. I speak from experience, having owned cats all my life, and whenever a cat in our pair died, the other one knew that the partner animal was dead and did react (and change) emotionally. It really only goes to reason that they would understand death, and it's not too far of a stretch to believe that other similar classifications of mammals, wild or domesticated, understand the same things. I think, though, that domesticated animals do have the luxury to ponder it for longer than wild animals, since they know they are in a secure location without having to worry about survival, food, etc.

Now, the ability to ponder what is BEYOND death is a feat solely attributed to humans, who have a foward-thinking brain. Hence why humans attach myths and mysticisms to death and the afterlife.
>> Anonymous
People are confusing the ability to detect external stimuli with pain. The two are not related. They often go together, especially in humans, but that's not always the case with all animals.
>> Anonymous
>>255428
I think some animals have the capability of disinguishing another animal as "dead" or "alive" but I seriously doubt any other animal besides man can comprehend their own mortality.

In fact, the vast majority of people don't understand death, or really understand that they will die someday. Unless you've seen death in person or yourself have been close to death, you don't understand it.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>255428
>> OkasenLuny !3GqYIJ3Obs
>>255803
You don't know that only humans make up what happens after death. Nobody really knows what animals are thinking. For all i know my dog is downstairs praying to Allah.

Actually, he's probably in some creepy dog cult. He's a little.. odd.
>> Anonymous
If a baby human grew up on an island on its own secluded from society it wouldnt comprehend death either thus neither can animals since there is no way to tell them about it since I dont speak dolphin.
>> Anonymous
>>255884
>>255897
Both of you, feel free to use the delete button on the bottom right portion of your screen.
>> Anonymous
?
>> #fortune Anonymous
I think that I don't care.
>> Anonymous
Well...Muslims suicide bombers die with full blown erections.

I guess some animals are wired that way.
>> Anonymous
>>255917
but we're talking about animals, n-OHH I GET IT

you're a funny guy, y'hear?
>> Anonymous
>>255884

lol Ok, fair point. How about, only humans have observable rituals in connection with mortality, death, and the afterlife?
>> Anonymous
>>255964

What about elephant graveyards? And I'm not talking about anthropomorphising the elephant, just pointing out they do collect the bones and deposit them in certain areas. There was a case at a zoo involving elephant death at a zoo where the corpse was removed from the pen and the other surviving elephants became lethargic; this was apparently solved with the introduction of the dead elephant's skull to the pen (for a short period). The reaction of the elephants was to touch and handle the skull and the animals returned to normal soon after. Were the elephants depressed? Was this an act of remembrance at a loss? Not sure with absolute scientific prove, but they seemed to need this kind of activity (or ritual) to return to a normal activity schedule.

As for acknowledgement of death in an individual animal or within a group, animals certainly display grief or loss in many cases and can realise that it may be dying. What animals don't have is angst about their own death, regret or foresight into the future-- for the most part, they live in the present.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I believe they can. I've got a few examples for this.
First off, the day my Grandfather died, his dog jumped up on his hospital bed, which she NEVER did, and would not leave his side. She gave him a little lick on his hand and stayed with him until he passed, and once he did, she have him another little lick on the hand and walked away.
Secondly, when we had to put that particular dog to sleep, we brought my dog in the room for closure since they were buddies. My dog went over to my Grandfather's dog, smelled her face and gave her a quick kiss, then stood against the wall. Ever since then, my dog trembles terribly when we take her to the vet, and I can't help feeling it's because of that day.

tl;dr Yes, animals can comprehend death, even if it may be in a small way.
>> Anonymous
>>256069
Elephants are widely known for their compassion and the way they deal with death in the animal world. I remember watching an animal show years ago about a mother elephant who's baby died. She kept trying to get it to stand, and any other elephants who came near, she defended the baby's corpse very hostily, then continued to press against it, trying to get it up. It was so sad.
Speaking of sad animals, there was another animal show I watched of this ape who knew simple sign language and could communicate. well, he loved this kitten and kept it with him wherever he went. One day, the kitten escaped from the gorilla pen, ran in the street, and got hit by a car. Years after the fact, the mokey and his trainer were looking at a magazine, and the lady flipped to a page with a kitten that looked like his, and after he saw it, he continued to sign "sad." Oh God, I baw'd.
>> Anonymous
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6917113.stm

Oscar can predict death.
>> Anonymous
For fucks sake, I don't even bother counting how many idiots say stuff like "They don't know death, they just know someone isn't around anymore". That's exactly what death is, morons. Humans just have difficulty accepting that we are nothing but mere mammals ourselves so we just had to give it some special meaning and concept of afterlife.

Death is when brain functions of a living being stop and the body starts to decay. It's the end of a biological process and a start for another. Only religious delusional idiots think it's anything else.
>> Anonymous
>>256117
Yes. That's what's been bothering me about this thread. What's so special about human's "comprehension" of death?
>> Anonymous
>>256117
...and animals can't comprehend that.
>> Anonymous
Animals do notice when a human or another animal dies, for sure. However, animals don't anticipate death while people do.
>> Anonymous
>>256069

>What about elephant graveyards?

Elephant graveyards are a myth.
>> Anonymous
elephants mine salt ffs. they understand health and mineral needs more than us dumb fucks do.

seriously, give animals more credit, just cos we havent cracked birds comunication patterns dont mean they arnt intelligent. were arrogant and retarded.
>> Anonymous
>>256146

That pretty much leaves the question of whether any species comprehend emotions and things like death and pain the same way. It'd be ridiculous to assume that all of the other species except humans had identical ways to feel. So it's pretty much a given to say that 'animals' don't feel same way like humans, even though the basis is still shared, things like sadness, physical pain and hunger for example are pretty similar with many mammals at least. But it's not like humans have some kind of deeper understanding of death, since concepts of afterlife and the like are not based on any facts or logic, just theories and delusions.
>> Anonymous
wtf is it??
>> Margaret
Elephant graveyards are a myth.

Do you not know how to read?
>> Margaret
>>256148


Do you not know how to read? There were like three posts on elephant graveyards, asshole.
>> Anonymous
>>256153
Considering your poor grasp of the English language, I think it's safe to say that corvids are of comparable intelligence to you, at least.
>> Anonymous
>>256153
>elephants mine salt ffs. they understand health and mineral needs more than us dumb fucks do.

Animals, including humans, develop cravings based on nutritional needs. It's instinct. It isn't as if elephants monitor the sodium content of their diet and consult with an elephant physician before deciding they need more salt.
>> Anonymous
Animal in the photo is the Portageus Man of War jellyfish.
>> Anonymous
>>255466Squids... can't see or experience things, they don't even have something like a brain. No pain, no communication, no thinking or comprehending anything at all.

Actually, most species of squid can see AND have brains. The Giant Squid has the largest eyes on record-- the size of pie plates, AND a decent-sized brain. Further, most species of squid have intricate courtship rituals, and there's more evidence every year that the female squids discriminate against ugly, clumsy squid whenever they can. Also, although octopuses win the Smartest Invertebrate Award, squid have been known to pass simple tests and learn to differentiate between patterned shapes to receive treats as well. You might be thinking of Jellyfish. And want to run a couple google searches before you make any more crazy assertions.

As for the death thing, I feel that there's plenty of evidence that animals know death when they see it, set out to accomplish death when they hunt (or war, as in chimpanzees), and generally dislike the presence of it in their fellow species-member. Unless they're vultures, in which case they don't generally seem to give a shit. But there's pretty much no animal species in the world that treats a dead corpse of their own kind the same way they treat living individuals. At the very least, they'd eat it, or make even less of an attempt to interact with it.

As for comprehending death, it seems that nearly all animals have an aversion to disease, predation, and pain, whose extreme consequences do lead to death. On a primal level, probably everything comprehends death.

As for whether they can truly understand death in the sense of seeing it as the natural and inevitable endpoint of their lives, a few of the signing chimps and gorillas have indicated that they might-- but there's no way to ask the other animals. It's doubtful they have the long-range planning skills.
>> Anonymous
>>256342
Portuguese, you ignorant cunt.