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10 Heartbreaking Animal Mourning Rituals

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By Kelli Bender Jul 31, 2012

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ELEPHANT EMPATHY

Elephants are extremely emotional animals, easily bonding with other elephants or the humans who care for them. These deep attachments can lead to terrible grief when a loved one dies. Elephants are known to shed tears, bury their dead, go into depression and starve themselves in reaction to a loss. One elephant at an Indian zoo was so distraught over the death of her friend that she refused to eat or drink, leading to her own death. (BBC)