For those who love animals it may seem obvious but for science it is not so, or it was not until today. A group of primatologists were surprised to see the gorillas' reaction to the death of a friend, family member or prominent member of the community.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himFor those who love animals it may seem obvious but for science it is not so, or it was not until today. A group of primatologists were surprised to see the reaction of gorillas in the face of death of a friend, family member or prominent member of the community.
There is still some cliché that gorillas are animals with brutal and aggressive instincts. Nothing further than this is what appeared to a group of primatologists who were carrying out research on a group of mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
What the scientists witnessed was real "funerals" with which these monkeys honored the death of a family member or group member to which they were closely related. The study analyzes precisely what happened following three gorilla deaths, the only ones three cases (out of a total of 42) in which it was possible to have detailed information on the behavior of the members of the group.
Research speaks of Ihimure, gorilla who had created an important friendship bond with Tito, the alpha male of the group, and when Tito died he never separated from him while the rest of the gorillas approached to observe the corpse. She even slept one night next to his body.
Although there was some tension over who should take his place at the head of the group, all the gorillas still went to say goodbye to their leader, taking turns to stay a few minutes close to the body, observing it. A ritual that was only interrupted when the aspiring new alpha male hit his chest screaming.
A year later he died Tuck, the most important female gorilla of the group. Her youngest son, Segasira, slept next to her and gathered the rest of her gorillas around her mother as well. But what surprised the scientists most was the fact that Segasira, despite being weaned for some time, tried to latch onto his mother's breast to get the milk. This gesture has been interpreted as a way of managing the stress he was experiencing, we remember that with breastfeeding the release of oxytocin (a good mood hormone) is stimulated.
The third funeral took place in another group of gorillas, observed by the same scholars in 2016 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this case, it was a group of lowland gorillas who found themselves struggling with the corpse of a mountain gorilla “silverback” (silver back), i.e. the alpha male.
Their reaction was completely unexpected. The thing that surprised the scholars the most was undoubtedly the behavioral response of the gorillas towards the corpse of a presumably unknown member who did not belong to the group, very similar to that one had towards the members of one's own community. The gorillas, in fact, sat quietly around the corpse, many sniffed, licked and cleaned it.
The gorillas, in short, are able to express their sorrow for the death of their companions with rituals and moving gestures that are very reminiscent of the pain we human beings feel. Thanks to the published study, the researchers therefore demonstrated how these monkeys carefully guard their dead and feel real suffering in the face of such losses.
Scientists conclude that:
"This observation may suggest that humans are not unique in their ability to suffer."
As Amy Porter, of the Fossey Gorilla Fund Dian International, head of the study, said:
"I think we have a lot to learn about the ways animals relate to the world and I'm sure they experience emotions that are much more complex than we often explain."
The great sensitivity shown by the gorillas could however represent a danger for this already endangered species. Primates, in fact, risk epidemics, especially Ebola, and staying close to corpses in this way can expose them more to the spread of diseases.
Read also:
- The extraordinary friendship between a gorilla and a tiny primate (VIDEO)
- Mountain gorillas: the Congo rangers who risk their lives every day to protect them (PHOTO and VIDEO)
- Endangered animals: mountain gorillas are now less than a thousand
