10 Animals That Grieve Their Loved Ones

2. Dolphins

Dolphins, with their advanced cognitive abilities and complex social structures, also exhibit mourning behaviors. When a member of their pod dies, dolphins have been seen carrying the deceased on their backs, sometimes for days, as if unable to let go. This behavior is particularly observed in mothers who lose their calves. Researchers have observed this mourning behavior in Risso's dolphins, spinner dolphins and short-finned pilot whales (a type of dolphin). The pod often slows down, swimming in close formation around the grieving mother, providing support and companionship. Such displays of empathy and social cohesion suggest that dolphins, like humans, have a capacity for emotional depth and a need for communal support during times of grief.