Animals can get stressed and feel depressed just like humans. As you know, this kind of mental volatility is one of the factors that lead us to commit suicide.
Can animals also think of ‘suicide’ and do this, just like humans do? Experts have different opinions on this issue.
The most famous of the cases considered as suicide, ‘mass whale suicides’
For a while, speculative news that whales committed suicide due to a certain event or environmental pollution was very busy on the agenda. In fact, the underlying cause of this event is quite different.
It’s all about the alpha whale feeling terminally ill, looking for a suitable place to hide, and the remaining migrating herd follow their leader in confusion, then die by being washed up on the shore.
Is it suicide for rats to run after cats knowing they are going to die?
Another aspect of the job is that ‘rats run after cats knowing they are going to die’. The fact of the matter is that mice have a type of parasite that affects their brains, and if the mouse is exposed to this parasite, it can lose its sense of fear and easily become prey to a cat.
So what do the experts think about this issue?
In fact, there is no complete consensus among experts. To begin with the first sighting, animals may indeed be committing suicide, but whether they do so out of a dying wish is unknown. An animal under high stress, such as those in circus performances, can kill themselves. However, there is no clear information about them doing this with suicidal ideation like ours.
On the other hand, many experts argue that while similar psychological reactions can occur between humans and animals, suicide is not one of them. According to those who support this idea, every person knows that he will die one day, but this is a characteristic unique to humans. No animal can make a decision about death knowing its place in life and that it will die one day. Their fear-based instincts and their avoidance of danger cannot be reconciled with their knowing that they are mortal.
The world of emotions and thoughts of animals is not as simple as it looks from the outside.
Whatever thought you may believe, some animals sacrifice themselves to protect their families; some go into mourning after their friends died; There are many examples, such as others starving themselves to the point of death in the face of a sad situation.
As the information we obtain about the inner world of animals increases, we may be able to say more clearly about suicide, but for now there are only a few different opinions and it is up to you whether you believe or not.
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