10/16/13

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

This site use s cook ie s to offe r you a com ple te e x pe rie nce . Find out m ore or close (x) this notification pe rm ane ntly.

Keyw ords

HTC O ne m ax Pricing Unve ile d As It Ge ts Launche d in C hina

NEWS CATEGORIES:
Edward Snowden Latest News Oddiverse NEW! Laptops & Tablets Games Microsoft A pple Telecoms Technology & Gadgets Reviews Linux Life and Style Webmaster Security Editorials Interviews Science Green

Hom e > Ne ws > Scie nce > Sci Pry

August 22nd, 2007, 17:36 GMT By Stefan Anitei

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

SHARE: 6 Like 446 Send Tw eet 20 Adjust text size: Animals, too, experience a profound feeling of sadness when their play/hunt/sex partner dies. Those studying the behavior of wild and domestic animals come with an increasing number of cases proving that animals are capable of pure sorrow when they lose someone close to them. Somehow, this behavior is linked to self-conscience, thus only "brainy" animals, like mammals and some birds, consciously commit suicide. It is hard to say if animals commit suicide. An animal will not do this because of a sudden dread, or an excessive emotion. As they cannot ... speak, it's difficult to assess if there is a true suicide. But when a dog or a cat, following the death of their master, refuse food dying of hunger, we can conclude that this is an unwitting consequence of the pain they feel. But when the animal throws itself from a height, it's hard to believe this is a casual act or the effect of its anxiety. This case was seen in a natural reserve in Zimbabwe: chased from their pride, the luck seemed to have encountered a pair of old hungry male lions. They cornered a warthog, but the animal escaped in the last moment in a den. One of the lions, pushed by the hunger, tried to follow it, but he got trapped in the narrow hole. His partner tried to help him, pulling him out with the paw, but when the trapped lion started roaring of pain, he stopped. The trapped lion died asphyxiated, and the next day, his partner hardly managed to pull out his corpse. Sooner, the second lion was found dead next to the body of the other. He had refused to go hunting, and died of hunger. Dogs are known for their strong affection feelings, and stories with suicidal dogs abound. Dogs grown together get so bound one to each other, that often do not survive to the loss of one of them. One owner had an airdale and a fox-terrier, who were always hanging together.

NEWS A RCHIVE >> SOFTPEDIA REVIEWS >> MEET THE EDITORS >>

35k
Find us on Google +

One day, the fox-terrier was crashed by a car and died. The owner buried it in the garden. The playful airdale changed its behavior, did not leave the tomb, refused food, and was haunting like a phantom during the night like looking for its friend. Few days later, the airdale was found dead next to the tomb of its friend. But this attachment of the dogs is also applied to their human masters. This story occurred in Rome: the owner of Shastra, a Spanish cockerel, died. When the corpse was pulled out of the house, the dog tossed itself from the third level. It just broke one leg. It was brought to the veterinarian but once again home, the pulled out itself from the leash and threw itself again. This time it died. Perhaps, the places in which the dog played so many times with its master could have recalled the dog such painful records that it could not resist and suicided. This case occurred in Ostiglia (also Italy): Franz, a German shepherd dog, was laying on the railways line, near the railway station. Workers always chased away with stones the dog, but soon after the dog returned, and one day, the dog met with the Verona-Bologna train... Franz had lost his master, condemned two weeks before to one year in jail. Since she had disappeared, the animal refused food, haunting through the city, like a suffering soul missing a beloved one. This case occurred in the Farnese palace (Paris): a white Angora tomcat chased restlessly a pussy cat next door. But the female was indifferent to his advances, and one day the tomcat threw himself through the windows and died. The owner said because of the unshared love... An 8-year-old girl had a cat which she surrounded with all her care and affection. The two were very bound. But the child died of a sudden condition, and everybody forgot in a such a difficult moment about the cat. When they remembered about the animal, it was gone. Three months later, a scratch was heard at the door. It was the cat, weakened and with sad eyes. The cat refused food or caresses; it went to the girl's room, looked around, went to the open window and tossed itself: it died with the skull crashed on the pavement. Monkeys too react in the same manner when losing a partner. Many times in Zoos, when one monkey in a pair dies, the partner refuses food, dying a few days later. Monkeys are highly intelligent, and form strong bounds with the partner. Of course, the suicide also occurs amongst dolphins, animals considered the second after apes in what concerns intelligence level. In a Greek gulf, a pair of dolphins had been living for years. But one day the fishermen noticed that the male could not swim properly and floated with the belly up. Few days later, the male died. The female pushed the corpse, trying to keep it to the surface to "breathe". When a storm begun, the body was taken and smashed to the rocks. Then, the female threw herself to the rocks, sharing the same faith with her partner. As said, some birds, with a more complex behavior, can suicide, like parrots. In a pair of pet love birds, the male got an injury that killed him in one hour. The female, witnessing the sufferance of her partner till he died, imitated all his movements, like she would have suffered the same way like him. She kept on imitating this even after her partner died, and this had a harming effect on her inner organs. Her vitality dropped, and she died soon. But sometimes animals seem to suicide linked to depression, when serotonin ("happiness levels") drop to dangerous low levels, which is a much more common cause of suicide in humans, than longing.

Like

179k

Follow @softpedia Softpedia

TRENDING TODAY
UC Browse r for Java 9.0 Now Available for Download Download UC Browse r 9.2 for Java UC Browse r 9.1 for Java Now Available for Download Microsoft to Kill W indows 8.1 in 2023 Download UC Browse r 9.3 for Java Download UC Browse r 9.2 for Java (Te st Ve rsion) Anonym ous Le ak s Large Num be r of File s Afte r Hack ing Polands Ministry of Econom y The Start Scre e n Pushe s W indows 8 Light Ye ars Ahe ad of iO S and Android Ve ne zue lan Military and Gove rnm e nt W e bsite s Hack e d by Anonym ous Katie Holm e s Is Not Dating Jam ie Fox x , The yre Just Frie nds

news.softpedia.com/news/Do-Animals-Commit-Suicide-63441.shtml

A giraffe at Paris Zoo broke its head wittingly by the walls of its shelter, after a period of several days in which manifested

1/9

10/16/13

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

A giraffe at Paris Zoo broke its head wittingly by the walls of its shelter, after a period of several days in which manifested signs of sadness and depression. A 12-year-old lioness in an American Zoo had remained pregnant thrice, but each time she gave birth to weak cubs, which died soon. After the last pregnancy, she failed in the most severe depression. For several days she had refused food, and suddenly, she experienced a desperation crisis, starting to chew her tail as long as she reached. Than she started to chew one of her paws, and none could say the final results, if the keepers had not killed her. Post-partum depression is common also in women ... In a English case, a farmer, renown for his brutality, bought a horse. The seller warned him not to use the whip for driving the horse. But two days later, the farmer bit violently the horse. Suddenly, the animal started running on a meadow surrounded from three parts by fences, and on a fourth side, there was a cliff dominating the sea shore. The horse galloped directly to the cliff, smashing itself on the rocks below. In some animals, sex is pure suicidal, at least for the males. In praying mantis the female starts eating the male while still copulating, head first! And in some spiders, in which the male is a pygmy compared to female, sex is followed by its own sacrifice in the jaws of the female. In the end, males are just a piece of protein for the hungry eggs developing females. Is this a suicidal act of the male? Rather no, as he primarily has sex on his mind. Another issue: Lemmings do not commit suicide! Each 4 years there is a cyclic demographical boom of the lemmings (small arctic rodents) followed by a desperate massive migration during which many die throwing themselves into the rivers, lakes and sea. It has been regarded as a collective suicide, conscious or involuntary, caused by over-population. In reality, being solitary rodents by nature, when the population booms, the stronger lemmings drive the weaker and younger ones off long before the food is depleted. The young lemmings disperse in random directions looking for vacant territory. Geographical features constrain their movements and channel them into a relatively narrow corridor and large numbers can build up leading to social friction, distress and eventually a mass panic can follow and they flee in all directions, but they do not deliberately march into the sea; this is just pure fantasy. Follow @softpedianew s FILED UNDER:
BRA I N

1,959 follow ers

D E P RE SSI O N PA IN

MIND

Share your thoughts on this story...

127,493 hits 78 comments Link to this article Print article Send to friend

MUST-READ RELATED ARTICLES:

Do Slimming Pills Really Make You Slim?

Why Do Women Have Three Times More Headaches Than Men Do?

C offee Helps Women's Memory

Top 12 Most Frequent Issues That Kill Men

Stress C an Make You Lose Your Teeth

READER COMMENTS:
C om m e nt #1 by: Kahlen on 31 De c 2007, 19:02 UTC re ply to this com m e nt

I have heard a story about what the Greeks used to do that went like this: They would spill some gasoline around a scorpion but not on the scorpion, and they would put the gasoline ring on fire. The scorpion could not escape because these animals are very afraid of fire, and after some time of circling around the ring of fire trying to find a way to escape, the scorpion would bite itself with its own sting causing its death after about one minute. I guess this is clearly a case of an animal deliberately committing suicide.
C om m e nt #1.1 by: Ray Ray on 07 Apr 2009, 18:48 GMT

this is not true because scorpions are immune to there own poison
C om m e nt #1.2 by: drei on 09 De c 2009, 06:48 GMT

It would die from the puncture not the poision.

C om m e nt #1.3 by: jk on 02 Nov 2010, 09:45 GMT

"The story that scorpions commit suicide by stinging themselves, when surrounded by a ring of fire, is based on misinterpretation of their behaviour and has long since been disproved. However, the generallly accepted idea that all animals are immune to their own poison is not quite correct. Scorpions possess a certain degree of immunity. ... Scorpions are very sensitive to heat and die easily when exposed to the rays of the sun in a closed container. What happens when a scorpion is subjected to heat is simply this: first it tries to escape and failing in

news.softpedia.com/news/Do-Animals-Commit-Suicide-63441.shtml

2/9

10/16/13

container. What happens when a scorpion is subjected to heat is simply this: first it tries to escape and failing in this, begins to strike frantically with its tail as if in an attempt to sting. Finally it becomes insensitive, overcome by heat, and dies unless removed and allowed to recuperate. The treatment against scorpion poison consists in an application of cold, administration of barbiturates, and injections of a special scorpion serum. ..."

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

C om m e nt #2 by: Brad Welbourn on 20 Jan 2008, 02:25 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

I happen to know that animals DO commit suicide, and quite often... In fact I used to have a pet turtle who is my living proof. It enjoyed watching movies with me, some of its favorite's were films like Forest Gump, and Kill Bill. One day we watched Requrium For A Dream, and instantly after the movie, it crawled to its fake log in its cage, lifted it, then slammed it down on its neck, resulting in a catastrophic paralysis injury. I then had no other choice but to batter it with a heavy spoon to put it out of its own misery. Animals DO commit suicide.
C om m e nt #2.1 by: hammurabi on 08 Se p 2009, 01:10 GMT

I send you and your turtle my condolences. I too have gone through the same kind of pain. The second year I had my ball python, it constricted itself to death after having seen Titanic.
C om m e nt #2.2 by: Logic dude on 09 Jul 2010, 00:43 GMT

Anecdotal evidence = 0 evidence.

C om m e nt #2.3 by: Hughesy on 14 Jan 2011, 22:30 GMT

Your turtle must be the reincarnate of my brother, he also killed himself after watching Requiem For A Dream
C om m e nt #2.4 by: dez on 13 Apr 2012, 08:01 GMT

lol what as * nice troll btw

C om m e nt #2.5 by: Babes on 02 Jan 2013, 21:27 GMT

R u really that stupid 2 reasons why your stupid one a turtle is a sea creature it only goes on land when laying eggs two if u mean tortoise it wouldn't b able to life up a fake log cage and hit on its neck mainly cause it doesn't have thumbs in order to hit it self on the neck and it would have to pick up the fake log cage in its mouth and that would be impossible to slam it on its neck whilst in its mouth plus if it did try to commit suicied than u must be super cruel to batter it with a heavy spoon to put it out of its misery why didn't u tell your mum and ask the vet to put it down. Your just one of those attention seekers that will do, or say anything to get attention three silibles for you I- Id- to

C om m e nt #3 by: Jesse on 05 Nov 2008, 01:45 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

>Somehow, this behavior is linked to self-conscience, thus only "brainy" >animals, like mammals and some birds, consciously commit suicide. I saw a yellow jacket/hornet kill itself by stinging itself inside its head because it got too hot in the light fixture and couldn't get out.
C om m e nt #3.1 by: chickNstrip on 01 De c 2010, 15:32 GMT

Yes I tp am a believer. I once had a dog who after eating my wifes chilli got up and went to my bedroom were he pulled out my 45 killed my wife and then shot himself! It was a quit painful when I finishd the chiliiiiii

C om m e nt #4 by: vash on 05 Nov 2008, 02:51 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

wow truly emotional brad..... yea wow. Animals have feelings like humans. People tend to think since animals are not so complex as us that they are less superior therefore less capable of emotions. Also that animals follow a daily ritual everyday. Just because they dont have a civilization or just because they dont have as many genes as us. does that mean they arent as complex as us? If you think about it, some animals minds work just like us. just because they cant speak a language or do other things like us dosnt mean that they are not capable of feeling emotions. cats and dogs show great emotion. if you have a dog or a cat when you are down about something (my cats atleast) will jump up on my lap and start purring and loving on me because they sense depresion. they obvioulsy can point it out so why do we think that they arent capiable to feeling it. thus deppression is the leading emotion to suicide in humans. So if animals can reconize depression and feel depression whats stopping them. plus we can argue that humans are animals too. just because we get out of the "state of nature" dosnt mean we arent animals, or mamals we are apart of them and they are apart of us.
C om m e nt #4.1 by: Holly on 03 Jan 2013, 03:15 GMT

Animals actually DO have as many genes as us, and some have more. And many animals form complex civilizations - it's just that we aren't privy to their rules, because we can't understand them. Animals are every bit as complex as humans are. It's egocentric as * to think that humans are somehow better than animals, because we aren't. We're just different.

C om m e nt #5 by: mike on 10 De c 2008, 14:06 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

is not suicide a human construct? is suicide not some kind of tragic paradox that comes about precisely because we have surpressed the animal within, and not allowed it sufficient scope to roar?

C om m e nt #6 by: Turbo on 14 De c 2008, 20:55 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Once, I had a car accident hitting a wild boar that suddenly ran into the sight at dark. Even though braking hard as soon as possible, I couldn't avoid the crash, partly because it stopped running away. It's maybe solely because of the headlights, but maybe as result of a suicidal behavior. I've heard of stories about rejected animals.

C om m e nt #7 by: Mia on 18 Jan 2009, 16:02 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Something else that also is common is that when cats become sick, old.. they often tend to go out and not come back home. Perhaps its not suicide, but they know they are dieing and for some reason they dont want to die at home..?

news.softpedia.com/news/Do-Animals-Commit-Suicide-63441.shtml

3/9

10/16/13

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

C om m e nt #7.1 by: Ddr-5 on 13 May 2010, 21:25 GMT

I think i know why they don't want to die at home. I heard somewhere, that they don't want their masters to see them dying, because they know that their master will be sad because of that.
C om m e nt #7.2 by: what on 20 Nov 2010, 01:22 GMT

its probably because they cant find their way home (loss of senses due to old age), not because they know their master will be sad. the cat doesnt know its dieing because it doesn't know what death is. humans are the only self aware beings that know death
C om m e nt #7.3 by: Imsure on 16 Jan 2011, 08:52 GMT

I believe animals are very aware of death.

C om m e nt #7.4 by: chan on 31 Jan 2011, 13:15 GMT

If animals weren't aware of death, this whole article wouldn't have made any sense.
C om m e nt #7.5 by: boo you on 18 May 2011, 04:29 GMT

@What: All animals are aware of death. Including humans. Humans are a kind of animal, you know. We're just (usually) more intelligent than most. Also, although some animals can not find their way home, some animals can- especially cats. My friend's cat died outside in their yard. She visited everyone's room for a while, and then she went outside. They thought she needed to go to the restroom (because they trained her to go outside), but instead she just laid down and died.
C om m e nt #7.6 by: Jondon on 31 Aug 2012, 05:42 GMT

Yeah.. I once had a dog that was super friendly.. way too friendly and really liked to hump everything. Anyways we went in to get him neutered but after that he was never the same. He denied food and starved to death. Poor TJ.
C om m e nt #7.7 by: Holly on 03 Jan 2013, 03:20 GMT

I've kept rats as pets for a number of years. At this point, I've raised about sixteen rats from birth to death. Out of these sixteen rats, I've seen at least two of them, when sick and close to their time of death, frantically struggling to get out of their cage, away from their cagemates, and onto the floor, where they look for a secluded, dark corner in which to die. One of them was so determined to do this that I had to lock him inside his cage to prevent him from jumping 5+ feet onto the floor from his cage. The second, I allowed to go sit on the floor where he wanted, and he lay under the phone stand beside the bed where I sleep until I finally decided to put him down. I don't think it has anything to do with not wanting their master to see them die (and, in fact, I have a lot of problems using the word "master" here, because they're animals. We don't own them). I think it's more that they're trying to get away from the other animals to avoid infecting them with whatever they're dying from. It's just preserving the species, or maybe they just want to be alone.

C om m e nt #8 by: Eva on 21 Jan 2009, 17:28 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Yes, animals have feelings. Anyone who has been around a pet should know that. My cat has nuzzled me when I was sad, and licked tears off of my face. Untrained dogs sometimes risk their lives to save ours, etc. I hope anyone who believes that animals don't have feelings never gets a pet. They commit suicide, too. I've seen a baby rattlesnake that bit itself, after we caught it in our garden. We put it in a metal drum, went to discuss what to do with it, (we couldn't let it back into our yard!) and came back to find it with its teeth still inside its purple body.

C om m e nt #9 by: Lucy on 26 Mar 2009, 02:57 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

I had a rat named Bubba. one week, when i was at camp, he escaped and lived under my parent's bed, where he dined on cat food stolen from their bowl. he had the time of his life, but when we discovered what happened, we put him back in his cage. soon after that, we noticed he was much skinnier. he denied food, and eventually died. i think that he knew he wasn't getting out again, and decided there wasn't much to live for. i miss Bubba very much.

C om m e nt #10 by: Ray Ray on 07 Apr 2009, 18:53 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

I was walking with my girlfriend today and she wanted to go one way and then changed her mind theni ws like your confusing me im going to be like some animals and kill my self she was like uhhh animals dont commit suicide and i was like ya i've heard of animals getting confused then they'll commit suicide am i the only one to hear of this?
C om m e nt #10.1 by: gareth on 14 May 2010, 15:09 GMT

I hadn't realised that my pet fish were becoming depressed despite their listlessness and dull colour. It's my fault they're dead because I was going for a minimalist look - just the fish, water and a light. I came home from work one day and found that they'd jumped out of the tank. The saddest thing is that they landed in the same place and parallel to each other. It looked to me like they held each others fins as they jumped to their deaths.
C om m e nt #10.2 by: Babes on 02 Jan 2013, 21:13 GMT

Do u watch Miranda on telly just thought I might ask

C om m e nt #11 by: A SS on 07 Jul 2009, 21:14 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

I do believe that animals commit suicide. I have had a black cat and a squirrel run straight for my front tires and kill themselves. I feel bad about it in a way, but I guess if they're determined to die they're gonna get it done 1 way or the other, right?
C om m e nt #11.1 by: nic on 19 O ct 2010, 10:05 GMT

news.softpedia.com/news/Do-Animals-Commit-Suicide-63441.shtml

4/9

10/16/13

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

OMG- my goldfish died this morn under the same circumstance- jumped out of tank- landed on my desk and committed suicide- its the only explanation- had him 2 yrs- he has adapted to moves changes etc- and overall been a really cool fish- RIP Frenchy 19-10-2010
C om m e nt #11.2 by: WOW on 01 Jul 2011, 21:49 GMT

The same thing happened to me! I was driving and it seemed like the neighbor's dog (the one that barks all night so I can't sleep, keeps taking my newspaper, keeps attacking my cat, poops in my yard, digs up my yard, pees on my lawn furniture, jumps into my pool and gets it ALL dirty, keeps pushing over my fence that I have to pay to fix) wanted to kill it self by jumping under my tire! As I ran over his dog house, it seemed like he realized he couldn't make it under one tire so he tried running under the other one. No luck there for him either because that was just when my neighbor's lawn furniture came under that tire! It seems like he frantically tried to stay in front of my car trying to get under it as I swerved and careened all through my neighbor's back yard! As a last ditch effort he tried to jump onto the fence as my car ran it over! Wow, that WAS one determined suicidal dog!

C om m e nt #12 by: Jane Dope on 19 Aug 2009, 06:49 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

2 animals ran under your tire? Maybe you're just a bad driver...

C om m e nt #13 by: James on 27 Aug 2009, 18:04 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Very interesting article, but not one piece of evidentiary support, not one reference for any of the claims being made. This was written by a science editor?
C om m e nt #13.1 by: piggy person on 28 May 2012, 17:31 GMT

i agree. i am reading this argument for a debate speech, and it doesn't give much help because of lack of references. also i am wondering if anyone knows about any suicidal animals from zoos that has a good reference..... thanks

C om m e nt #14 by: Kohltrain on 19 O ct 2009, 03:14 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Note to everyone: animals are stupid, not suicidal. A turtle did not bash its head in with a log, nor did a hornet sting itself. Think about racoons. they are some of the smartest mammals on earth and when they get caught in a trap they will try to get out of that cage till they die. I feel animals have emotions but they do not commit suicide. This whole article is lacking something. C redible Sources!!

C om m e nt #15 by: Ziggy on 25 O ct 2009, 23:22 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Your example of raccoons is flawed. Yes, some animals won't necessarily commit suicide, even in horrific situations, because they're as much individuals as we are! Some humans will lay down and die when in horrible situations, or kill themselves, whereas other humans won't. Animals are exactly the same. Im not saying all the examples given in the article are conclusive proof of suicide in all cases, but animals certainly can and do commit suicide just as often as we do, and are just as individual in their personalities and tendancies.

C om m e nt #16 by: Cindy on 26 O ct 2009, 04:49 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

I don't think animals are suicidal. I definitely think they have feelings, but I don't think they purposefully destroy their own lives. I actually think one thing that sets humans apart from animals is that we are the only animals that consciously and purposefully kill themselves for no biological reasons. Yes animals may refuse food, care, and their essential needs when in great distress, but that doesn't mean they are consciously trying to end their own lives. As with the case of the cat throwing itself out the window, it was probably weakened from not eating and could not land properly. I think the reason animals refuse their essential needs is because after a dramatic change in their life, they are scared and don't want to accept what would now be a foreign substance or circumstance. Like a baby bird refusing to eat from a human, even if it is its natural food, they don't see it that way anymore. The food becomes foreign because it doesn't come from the mother. Or the Lion, he was very distressed because he lost a companion, but maybe he didn't realize how weak he was. If they found him a few days later, that could suggest he was unsuccessful in hunting anyways. So a dog refuses to eat because the food doesn't come from its normal food source after the owner dies. Doesn't mean it knows that by not eating enough, it will shut down its organs and result in death. Even my grandma, who just lost her husband of 56 years, doesn't have an apetite and barely eats. She is not suicidal, but she's just not hungry. Animals in general do what they need to survive. Their existence is based on surviving. So if an animal is in great distress and loses its apetite, it doesn't attribute apetite loss to depression like we do. It doesn't understand that it really does need food, it assumes it is not hungry at the moment and will eventually die.
C om m e nt #16.1 by: boo you on 18 May 2011, 04:35 GMT

"As with the case of the cat throwing itself out the window, it was probably weakened from not eating and could not land properly." The cat's landing ability is unconscious behavior. Their body automatically sends signals to their brain telling the muscles the body is upside down. Then, unconsciously and flawlessly, the body automatically turns right side up. This is why a cat always lands on its feet. Thus, the story is probably false to begin with. And if the cat died, the only way that would happen if the cat hit something before it hit the ground (a branch, flag sticking out of the wall, etc). In this case, the signal doesn't reach the muscles in time and the cat does not land on its feet. Hence, a sad death.
C om m e nt #16.2 by: Babes on 02 Jan 2013, 21:09 GMT

For one thing u gotta cut down on sentences my friend k

C om m e nt #17 by: James on 06 Nov 2009, 11:53 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Animals can't commit suicide. In order to commit suicide you have to know that what you are doing is going to kill yourself and that you'll die. Animals aren't equipped with minds capable of even recognizing that there is death. So they might

news.softpedia.com/news/Do-Animals-Commit-Suicide-63441.shtml

5/9

10/16/13

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

accidentally do something that kills them, but they do not intentionally kill themselves.
C om m e nt #17.1 by: Jim on 29 De c 2009, 20:00 GMT

Every living thing has adapted to survive. The goal of all life is to stay alive. Of course more cognitively complex species are aware of death. Spend some time on a farm, when the truck comes to pick up an old dairy cow all the cows know that one is going to die.
C om m e nt #17.2 by: Christina on 15 May 2011, 03:04 GMT

The theory that 'Animals refuse their essential needs because after a dramatic change in their life they are scared and don't want to accept that would now be a foreign substance or circumstance' only covers one means of projected suicide seen among animals. Although it is a possible explanation for why the eating patterns of an animal would result in death, it does not account for other forms of suicide e.g. a goldfish jumping out of its bowl, a dog who drowns himself, a giraffe who begins to chew on its tail and paw. Suicide among humans are easily detected because in most cases an object will be formed or used for this purpose, such as a rope to hang oneself, or a knife to cut oneself. The rope and knife prove the suicide more clearly than which an animal suicide will reveal. My personal opinion is most of those who do not believe animals have a sense of death can not see beyond the context of what suicide among humans appear to be. Since animals obviously do not use means of human suicide, one must look upon more natural uses of the environment to prove the theory of animal suicide correctly. Provided numerous instances of animal suicide (assuming the credibility), it is evident it does exist. Just because an organism understands its brain more thoroughly than that of another, does not explain superiority. Animals are still mysterious to humans, so to make a statement that humans are more intelligent than animals is an unfair accusation, for we only know one side of the story.

C om m e nt #18 by: mark on 19 Nov 2009, 00:18 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

It does not die from poison, but rather the wound.

C om m e nt #19 by: Sam on 23 Nov 2009, 03:39 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

I do believe that animals have feelings and are, in some cases, able to consciously commit suicide. I do also like the role of the devils advocate. So: I think it is insufficient to just C LAIM that in an article. If you wish to make that point, please provide your readers with a reference list. Without references, every single example you 'quote' in this article might as well be an urban legend. Please, prove me wrong. Since this article is >2 years old, I'm not expecting any serious reply from the author. But everyone who reads this: If you're claiming something, you should also be prepared for such questions.

C om m e nt #20 by: drei on 09 De c 2009, 06:45 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

These stories show the reality of the universe apart from what humans think/tell their selves. Did you know they use to think babies couldnt feel pain? its true, and so they use to do many painful things while you were still a baby lke circumcision. Most of those things arnt alowed today unlike circumcision. But yeah, animals are alot closer to the truth in my opinion. And it shouldnt even be a question weather or not they can commit suicide. Its fact, as of the people saying they just flew at my car... its possible but its more likely that it was an accident. Because if they think they have a chance to cross then their going to sprint, and yeah. They always looks like they ran into you though. And "C indy" i could argue with you in so many ways from what youve said. But this is two years old meaning noones probly on here and id rather not waiste the time. However if you reply or something i might... but yeah... iight.

C om m e nt #21 by: Some Dude on 27 De c 2009, 21:52 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

I'm open to possibilities but, being that I've never seen an animal kill itself in a way that seemed intentional and that I know how stories that lack credibility get thrown around, I'm skeptical. Since humans are animals, it is a fact that animals commit suicide. I've just not seen any other animal do it or heard a realistic sounding story of any other animal doing it. I remain on the fence leaning to the no side.
C om m e nt #21.1 by: piggy person on 28 May 2012, 17:33 GMT

i agree. so con-fuse-ED!

C om m e nt #22 by: Mykill on 21 Jan 2010, 13:58 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Who says animals dont comit suicide? My hamster lost everything on the wheel and later overdosed on heroin. Are you telling me this wasnt suicide? You didnt read the note!!!

C om m e nt #23 by: Gavin on 27 Mar 2010, 11:27 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

'Science Editor' Stefan Anitei, there is little science to speak of in this article at all, nor are you good editor; writing is most definitely NOT your forte. This has to be the most awkwardly written article I've ever come across. 'cool story bro'
C om m e nt #23.1 by: Ohjaypancakes on 03 Apr 2010, 21:28 GMT

Agreed, it was an interesting read though.

C om m e nt #23.2 by: Kelly on 08 Apr 2010, 16:55 GMT

I agree, Gavin. The grammatical errors in this article destroyed any semblance of credibility for me, beyond the fact that no scientific studies were provided.

C om m e nt #24 by: Ohjaypancakes on 03 Apr 2010, 21:27 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

news.softpedia.com/news/Do-Animals-Commit-Suicide-63441.shtml

6/9

10/16/13

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

Animals are inferior in all aspects of intelligence that which humans as a species excel at. Humans can do more because they have the means to do so... Other animals can not because they are ill-equipped to do anything their instincts will not allow in their respective environments. Animals who are able to experience depression could be considered to have higher intelligences, intelligence of more complex emotion. This depends on the individual, not the species as a whole. After all, individuals will act how they will, this does not say much about the rest of their species. Domestic animals killing themselves, in direct violation to how they are "supposed" to act (survival) could very well be suggested by evolutionary psychology. They are more intelligent, they can experience more complex emotions, they can be destroyed by these emotions, they can commit suicide. Individual intelligence varies among every living creature, it is no different than with non-human animals.

C om m e nt #25 by: connor on 14 Apr 2010, 01:30 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

This article has no cited sources, and is highly inaccurate. Not to mention it is littered with elementary-level grammatical errors. A cat killed itself because it got rejected by a girl, even before a first date? Haha, completely false. An animal needs to create a bond first before it could be depressed by losing another. Not to mention a cat. All those examples and there's only one mention of the smartest animal, primates (which wasn't even a specific example)? And the author also failed to mention two prominent and well documented cases of animal 'suicide', Kathy/Flipper the dolphin (1960s) and a Newfoundland black dog (1845). I agree that animals are capable of self-termination, but this author should re-assess his application of the word 'suicide' to animals. He assumes too much about the intellectual faculties of animals.

C om m e nt #26 by: glo on 17 Apr 2010, 23:59 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

I definitely believe that animals can commit suicide. I have had 2 cats do it and I have been wondering if I were right or wrong in believing this so that's why I'm here on this website. Over 4 yrs. ago we were ready to move from our house and my cat Toby didn't want to be put in his cat carrier so he escaped by running between my legs as I was opening a door to go outside and none of us could catch him so we let him go, knowing I would be back in 2 days to finish up after the move, so I left food and water out on the back patio so he would have something to eat. When I came back in 2 days I found out from my daughter that he was dead on the side of the road and they had picked him up and taken him to a location outside of town. I made my daughter show me where he was and so I packed him up and took him to the new house and buried him out on a hil in beautiful surroundings. Later, I saw his ghost in my house. He was just sitting there; no movement. Like he was reassuring me that he was with me always. Really strange I thought, but I was comforted by seeing him all the same. When I turned away and then looked back, he was gone. I felt that he was just being his silly self that night that we moved and that he thought that we'd be back and so he was just playing around like he always did. Then when we didn't come back, I think he thought that we had abandoned him and it crushed him to be left alone so he did what he had to do if he thought we were never coming back; let himself get hit by a car. He was an indoor-outdoor cat and he knew his way around very well outside and avoided cars driving by so I knew he was able to take care of himself and he didn't ever feel abandoned until we left so I believe he did commit suicide. In Jan.2010 another loved cat got sick & we found out he had cancer. He was operated on but the vet said it would probably grow back. I decided to care for him hoping he'd survive. He recuperated from the surgery but never was able to eat properly again (a tumor under his tongue) and then he got plugged up and couldn't have a bowel movement. He was in & out of the vet's office for 5 long weeks and finally had to make the decision to have him euthanized. It was extremely sad and painful for me. I'm still not over it. He was not the 2nd cat to commit suicide. His buddy, SilentBob died yesterday from a car hitting him. Bob was pals with the sick cat and I'm sure he noticed when he was gone. Strangely enough, in the last week or so, I had noticed a black spot in the tooth area that had never been there before. He was also showing no appetite for a day or two. (The cat that had died, T-Bone, had had a black spot in the same area) . I was going to take him to the vet but hadn't done so just yet. Another sign that he wasn't being our AlphaMale cat around the house was that our youngest female cat who is just under a year old, was scaring Bob off when she encountered him. This NEVER happened ever. Bob was the "big man" in our household and the other cats bent down to him and never bothered him. I figure that Bob had become ill and he didn't want to live that way especially after seeing his buddy T-Bone suffer the way that he did, so I think he went out and done himself in the quickest way to end his suffering rather than go the route that T-Bone went. Just my opinion. Bob was also very conscious of the cars around. There weren't many that went by but whenever they did he'd run into the yard every time so I know it was no accident. Only his head was traumatized. The rest of him looked normal.
C om m e nt #26.1 by: Holly on 03 Jan 2013, 03:28 GMT

"Two of my cats got hit by cars and died" does not = animal suicide.

C om m e nt #27 by: bloke on 01 May 2010, 23:45 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Profound comment, mike! And an interesting article

C om m e nt #28 by: Zack on 11 May 2010, 03:24 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

The Greeks did not have gasoline. Scorpions have a poisonous stinger with which they would ostensibly sting themselves. This story is ridiculous.

C om m e nt #29 by: Gareth on 14 May 2010, 15:02 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Last year I witnessed a cow agitated and pacing on a cliff edge. It kept looking over at me and just pacing and circling. Suddenly, it leapt off the cliff and moood as it fell to it's death. I still get sweats thinking about it. I realise now that animals have feelings too so I emptied my tropical fishtank into the river so the fish could be free and I don't eat meat and I don't eat fish. I try to act kindly towards all creatures now - even little ants and bugs. I heard a story of a mass suicide in a bee hive - after taking all the honey repeatedly the bees became depressed and the whole hive flew into the river and drown.

C om m e nt #30 by: dude on 07 Jun 2010, 04:26 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

It's true that animals can commit suicide. this article lacks sources, but it isn't the only article on the internet about animal suicide.. just google it guys. Lots of pages gives proof that animals can commit suicide because of depression.
C om m e nt #30.1 by: Phil in Thailand on 27 O ct 2010, 13:52 GMT

I came upon this thread after observing dogs in Thailand first hand. Firstly dogs in Thailand behave very differently then in the US or Europe. They rarely bark. I've seen Thai men chase dogs out of their yards tossing

news.softpedia.com/news/Do-Animals-Commit-Suicide-63441.shtml

7/9

10/16/13

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

differently then in the US or Europe. They rarely bark. I've seen Thai men chase dogs out of their yards tossing objects at them with obvious intent to harm. Its a dog world here for dogs. It is obvious when I approach a dog here it is clearly nervous and there is no question that I am boss. The observation that led me to this thread was that some dogs lay down directly in the street. I saw one dog inching his way closer and closer to busy traffic. Today I saw perhaps for the last time one dog that was laying down right in the middle of the road. He didn't even look up when cars passed closely by. It was almost as if it wanted to be put out of his misery. This particular dog appeared to be in ill health and was nothing but skin and bone. It was a sad sight to witness.
C om m e nt #30.2 by: piggy person on 28 May 2012, 17:40 GMT

or try looking it up on duckduckgo.com or just type in ddg.gg it doesn't track or bubble u like google and yahoo and bing STALKERS!

C om m e nt #31 by: monkey mushroom on 09 De c 2010, 02:51 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

erm, well, my sister's cat disappeared during the cold snap one evening. She lives with me, and I have a cat who is currently going through a retirement phase, where he's sleeping in my room and not going out much. And ever since my sister's cat disappeared (and we assume now that it's died), we, well I, worry that my cat will soon do the same thing. Like, for instance, get itself killed by crossing the road deliberately or something like that. I know of cases where animals instinctively know when it's time for them to die, like if they're so relaxed, they don't feel the need to be inside their physical bodies anymore, and that would account for the sleeping, because they would much rather sleep than do anything else. I hope my cat doesn't decide to do something like that. I believe in a lot of things that to others seem strange, but in my life seem to make sense. Like we had another cat a while ago, who got herself run over, the night I went on holiday. She became unusually relaxed before that time; she was usually very hyperactive. She had a tendency to shoot out of the front door when you would open it to go out, which wasn't good because we live next to a busy road. Anyway, my cat at the moment is starting to behave a lot like her ... which is nerve-racking. But i guess I've got to accept it. If it happens, it happens. But in the meantime, i'm gonna give my cat lots of cuddles so that he knows i love him and need him around.
C om m e nt #31.1 by: Holly on 03 Jan 2013, 03:30 GMT

No, ffs. People like you shouldn't even be having pets if you can't even manage to keep your * cat indoors so that it doesn't get outside and get hit by a car, or lost forever. How hard could it possible be to put your cat in another room while you went in and out of the front door? "If it happens, it happens"? No. If it happens, then it's YOUR fault that it happened.

C om m e nt #32 by: Ednan on 20 Apr 2011, 21:30 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

yes animals do suicide,i have seen a cat try to kill her self,she was sick

C om m e nt #33 by: mrs.shoulders on 27 Apr 2011, 00:55 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

my bunny cookie died he was only one years old he saw his other brother snowy died and killed hiself and once cookie died oreo killed his self r.i.p cookie oreo and snowy we love and miss you

C om m e nt #34 by: Carnageloser7 on 31 May 2011, 03:21 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Animals do commit suicide. We know this guy Eric we call Kramer. He's a real stupid guy. Well Our friend Shane had this hamster for a long time, one day it got loose. He found it a day later swimming around in the toilet to stay alive. This thing had been swimming in there forever. Well that was it for Shanes mom, he had to give it away. He gave it to Kramer. Kramer had it for a day, the next morning he found its head buried in it's water bowl, it had drown itself. It was swimming around in s toilet for hours to stay alive, it's not going to accidentally drown in it's water bowl it could have easily pulled it's head out of.

C om m e nt #35 by: kenny on 23 Jun 2011, 07:34 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

well, to my own understanding animals too commit suicide but the animal varies depending on the kind of animal like mammals as read. KENNY

C om m e nt #36 by: KENNY on 23 Jun 2011, 07:48 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Well, animals commit suicide to some extent, but it varies on the kind of animal it is.mostly mammals i think do this because of their intelligence.

C om m e nt #37 by: miss you kitty on 11 Aug 2011, 11:02 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

my sick cat, we were caring for and it was in alot of pain and the recovery was very slow, it suddenly became restless pawing on the outside glass door like it wanted to go out, which was strange because we dont let it out and it was very apathetic before that, so we figured maybe it just wanted some fresh air so we put it on the screen porch with food and water to enjoy the air and sunshine, well as soon as we were out of site it ripped a hole in the screen and we searched all over for it high and low, never found it then years later digging in the garden i found its skull in a tunnel i had though was dug by a rabbit, but then i remembered that tunnel appeared about the same time my cat escaped, and yup it had probably dug a hole and curled up to die in there, i guess it new it was time to die and instinctual it is advantageous not to spread disease by keeping corpses far away, so maybe it was just instinct to go and kill itself away or maybe it just wanted to die, i dont know
C om m e nt #37.1 by: Fuzzy on 29 Se p 2011, 21:30 GMT

I gather that animals do attempt suicide, and so I feel justified in spending the thousands I pay my cat's psychiatrist. Just as a precaution, of course. "So, Mr. Whiskers, how long have you been hearing these voices?"
C om m e nt #37.2 by: piggy person on 28 May 2012, 17:43 GMT

dude, seriously? lol cats cant dig holes. its not in their instincts. either your stories is made up, or you found poor bunnies skull :0(

news.softpedia.com/news/Do-Animals-Commit-Suicide-63441.shtml

8/9

10/16/13

Do Animals Commit Suicide?

C om m e nt #38 by: vesna on 12 Aug 2012, 04:04 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

today i was biking along a fast busy road,and I noticed a black bird crossing the street. He seemed oblivious to all the fast cars coming towards him,and he just kept walking along,unphased. I freaked out,as there was a big city bus coming down the road at a rapid pace. I turned my head, praying that the bird had flown away in time,but was horrified to turn my head,after I heard a thump sound,and saw the bird,lying dead on the road from the passing bus. Wasn't that a suicide? It sure looked like one :-(((

C om m e nt #39 by: Nell hanna on 15 Se p 2012, 14:23 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

is there anything to prevent them to commit suicide because my cat is refuse to eat and she choose a place to die and she showed me where i can find her body but i don't want it to happen so please someone tell me how ?

C om m e nt #40 by: cyrus on 05 Fe b 2013, 23:49 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

how terrible

C om m e nt #41 by: BJ on 06 Mar 2013, 23:40 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

I actually witnessed a large hawk trying to commit suicide, and the bird tried to involve me in its attempt. I was entering onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike outside of Lancaster Pennsylvania about two weeks. As I enter onto the turnpike I clearly saw about forty yards ahead of me a fully grown hawk hopping on one leg from the side of the highway. It appeared that the hawk had severely injured or broken its right leg or claw. As I drew closer to the hawk it began to hop out onto the highway. Within seconds the hawk was clearly facing me right in me driving lane and wasnt moving. I started hitting my horn and slowed down to about 20MPH, and it still wouldnt move. You would think the birds instincts would click on and it would fly away, it didnt. The bird just stood there and wouldnt move. As I drew within 20 feet of the bird I drove around it and continued along from the other lane. I would love to tell you that the bird lived to see another day, but it didnt. A car behind me hit the hawk head on doing about 60 MPH, very sad thing to witness. I truly believe this hawk committed suicide due to its injury. I would love to hear an experts opinion on this matter.

C om m e nt #42 by: KevinSpring on 09 Mar 2013, 18:40 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

Any one hear of old pelicans finding a Y shaped part of tree and diving head first to it seemingly purposefully like suicide. Just heard this story yesterday and am in disbelief but I've searched the net only to find no mention of it. Anyone heard or witnessed this? Or do you know of any place it may be documented or Discussed? Please post here and I'll check back frequently.

C om m e nt #43 by: emmi on 24 May 2013, 20:57 UTC

re ply to this com m e nt

my mom ran over her cat that she had for 20 years the other day it has made her ill but i think the cat killed herself she was getting very bad on her legs and she found it hard to eat she was a big part of our life i had her when i was 18 she was always my bed mate when i lived at home until i left when i was 27 she was always a big part of my happy times i miss her so much. animals cats or dogs are very important parts of peoples life from babys till you get old ....

C opyright 2001-2013 Softpe dia. C ontact/Tip us at

SUBMIT PROGRAM

ADVERTISE

GET HELP

SEND US FEEDBAC K

RSS FEEDS

UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE

ROMANIAN FORUM

2 0 0 1 - 2 0 1 3 Softpedia. A ll rights res erved. Softpedia and the Softpedia logo are regis tered trademarks of SoftN ews N E T SRL .

C opyright I nformation | P rivac y P olic y | T erms of U s e

Searc h

Go

news.softpedia.com/news/Do-Animals-Commit-Suicide-63441.shtml

9/9