Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in June 2019.
A touching video of elephants organizing what appears to be a “funeral” for a deceased young elephant has taken the internet by storm, stirring a wave of emotions across social media.
The heartwarming footage, posted on Twitter by Parveen Kaswan, a forest ranger in the Indian Foreign Service, has struck a chord with thousands of viewers. In the video, an adult Indian elephant emerges from a forested area onto a road, gently cradling the lifeless body of a young elephant with its trunk.
Photo Credit: Parveen Kaswan/X
The adult elephant places the small body on the ground, standing vigil over it while awaiting the arrival of other members of the herd. The rest of the herd soon arrives, forming a line reminiscent of a solemn procession.
In a poignant display of unity, both young and mature elephants gather around the tiny carcass. With the herd standing as a somber congregation, they gently lift the lifeless elephant and carry it into the forest, leaving onlookers moved by the poignant scene.
The video resonated deeply on social media, receiving over 5,000 retweets and nearly 12,000 ‘likes.’ Commenters expressed their profound emotional reactions, with one user, Devika, reflecting on the powerful message it conveys: “This is heart-rending. There’s a lot that humans can learn from animals.”
Photo Credit: Parveen Kaswan/X
Another user, Sumita Bhatt, shared her astonishment, saying, “Omg!!! First time I hv seen such video… Really very touching.” Mohan Alembath, too, found the video deeply moving and said, “elephants’ capacity for complex emotions like grief is truly remarkable.”
While scientists advise caution in attributing human-like “grief” to animals, elephants are among several species observed displaying mourning behaviors. They have been known to exhibit a keen interest in the remains of their deceased, sometimes engaging in what appear to be “funeral” rituals.
Elephants may pass by the bodies of deceased herd members repeatedly, touching and smelling the remains, according to the Smithsonian magazine. These gestures indicate a form of reverence or sensitivity to the dead.
