Do animals commit suicide?

[ctoan]

or is suicide what seperates humans from animals?

the ultimative form of selfawareness?

ctb, ergo sum?

 

[Rollo]

Well this unique arrogance in thinking that humans posses some ultimate form of self-awareness is definitely what separates humans from animals (damn emoticons are big here).

As far as suicide goes. There are horsehair worms that as larva infest crickets, then grow inside their bodies and then crickets go and drown themselves after which worms escape the body.

 

[Candour]

Yeah they do, there was a whale in captivity they appeared to be displaying that behavior.

 

[samsays89]

Yeah they do, there was a whale in captivity they appeared to be displaying that behavior.

I've heard dolphins do it too. Since they're aquatic yet breathe oxygen, they need to consciously come up for air, and some simply choose not to.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/13/dolphin-commits-suicide_n_5491513.html

 

[Sayo]

Yes, they do. Even unintelligent animals will exhibit suicidal behaviour if their suffering is too great. Usually a response to pain or grief. Typically, their behaviour will be more passively suicidal than not, more of a sign of losing will to live, but there have been reported cases of drowning and self-suffocation.

The problem with discussing animal suicide is that it's difficult to prove an animal is aware of what it is going to do and consciously choosing to die, which often leads to projection in humans. That dolphins choose to stop breathing in inhumane captivity is a compelling argument to me though.

 

[-OneLastWhiskey]

I do know they get neurotic. Parrots pluck their own feathers when they are in too much pain/neglect.
Kind of a form of cutting or self-mutilation.

I guess dolphins, whales, parrots, maybe primates like gorilla's. These are so much more intelligent than we give them credit for.

 

[lost illusions]

I think so, they see my head lights and thump. Dam skunks

 

[lost illusions]

Some bitch, that makes 6 in a half an hour

 

[IG959]

I've never thought about this, definitely an interesting topic. Something I'll have to look into and learn more about

 

[AveryConure]

I honestly thought the answer was no until someone linked about the dolphin committing suicide.

I mean, yeah. Can't really blame it for going through with that.

 

[deathoverlife]

I've heard dolphins do it too. Since they're aquatic yet breathe oxygen, they need to consciously come up for air, and some simply choose not to.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/13/dolphin-commits-suicide_n_5491513.html

my answer was no till i went thru this link...

 

[Roph]

I've read stories of some animal suicides.

 

[Virgo]

Yes some animals commit suicide. This forum is a testament to the fact that some animals commit suicide.

 

[millefeui]

Does a dog dying after stopping to eat for weeks after their owner disappears count as suicide? If so, there you have it.

emoticons

Showing your age there.

 

[Rollo]

Showing your age there.

What's my age then?

 

[millefeui]

What's my age then?

It was mostly a joke. Haven't seen people call the little faces "emoticons" in such a long time. It is such an early 00s thing.

 

[lv-gras]

It was mostly a joke. Haven't seen people call the little faces "emoticons" in such a long time. It is such an early 00s thing.

yeah haven't seen them called that in ages, it's cool.

 

[Rollo]

It was mostly a joke. Haven't seen people call the little faces "emoticons" in such a long time. It is such an early 00s thing.

Got you. I'm 36, have a few gray hairs in my stubble so I guess you were right about me being an old fart. How do you call emoticons these days? Just so I don't get immediately busted trying to pass for 15yo.

 

[millefeui]

Got you. I'm 36, have a few gray hairs in my stubble so I guess you were right about me being an old fart. How do you call emoticons these days? Just so I don't get immediately busted trying to pass for 15yo.

They call it "emojis".

 

[Rollo]

They call it "emojis".

Just googled it and the idea is that emoticons are when you use punctuation marks, numbers and letters while emojis are images like the one I used. So I'm also guilty of a misnomer then.

 

[millefeui]

Just googled it and the idea is that emoticons are when you use punctuation marks, numbers and letters while emojis are images like the one I used. So I'm also guilty of a misnomer then.

Hm... Back in the 00s, at least in the social circles I was part of, we called everything emoticons. I guess the names of things change with time.

 

[Miro]

From time to time, I see stories about animal suicides.

 

[Manaaja]

I've heard and read that Skye Terriers often commit suicide after their owner has died. There was a famous Skye Terrier who would remain at its true owner's (the family's grandfather's) tomb until it died of dehydration/starvation despite its family having several other (living) humans who tried to give it food and water. It was so loyal to the grandfather that it didn't care about the remaining family members, nor life.