Discoveries

March 14, 2024

The Grieving

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Indian scientists recently discovered that Asian elephants bury their dead, shedding light on the complex social dynamics of these majestic creatures, New Scientist reported.

In their study, researchers discovered five buried calves in drainage ditches on tea estates in north Bengal, India. The buried mammals had their feet and legs protruding from the ground.

Study authors Akashdeep Roy and Parveen Kaswan explained that they also found footprints and dung droppings of various sizes, which indicates that the burial was a collective effort by herd members.

Night guards at the estates also told the researchers that animals would produce loud vocalizations for up to 40 minutes. Roy suggested that these sounds could signify mourning and that the herds showed “helping and compassionate behavior” during the burials.

“Calf burials are extremely rare events in nature,” said Roy.

The team noted that the calves were buried feet up, possibly due to the accessibility of this position for the elephants to place the carcasses in the drainage ditches.

Examination of the calves’ bodies showed signs of malnourishment and infections, indicating potential struggles faced by the young elephants.

The authors noted that this behavior from Asian elephants differs from that of African bush elephants: The latter are known for covering dead bodies with vegetation and returning to the burial locations later.

Ecologist Chase LaDue of the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, who was not involved in the study, welcomed the findings, but cautioned on “how we interpret these results, especially as the mental and emotional lives of elephants are still largely mysterious to us.”

This story originally appeared in the March 14, 2024 newsletter, Old Wine, New Bottle.