Do any animals, other than us, have an awareness of their own mortality? (continued)
Paul Wolf Arundel, Maine, US
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The question is backwards. What proof do we have that other animals aren鈥檛 aware of mortality? In the absence of such proof, it should be assumed they are, since the only animal we have insight into (humans) clearly is aware of its mortality. Assuming other animals don鈥檛 have this awareness is a presumption of human chauvinism 鈥� that we are somehow special and different from other animals.
Increasingly, research and observations of animal intelligence show that we may not be so different.
Dudley Dean Maresfield, East Sussex, UK
A long time ago, we had two dogs, a castrated male and female, who were very attached to each other. He died and she became upset. She wouldn鈥檛 leave her bed, eat or sleep. There was no question that she knew this separation was different and much more serious than normal ones.
We have known dogs that were very distraught at the death of their owner, whereas a holiday separation didn鈥檛 affect them. than other types of absence.
It is obvious to me that some of the more intelligent animals are certainly aware that death is a permanent separation. It is, however, impossible to know whether they are aware that they will die. We won鈥檛 know unless one day we learn to communicate with these animals much better than we can now.
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