ASIAN ELEPHANTS BURY THEIR DEAD AND

MOURN THEM

Researchers from two Indian universities identified five sites where baby elephants, aged between three months and a year and who died of organ failure, were buried by their herd. The adults carry the young by the trunk and legs and lay it on its back, in the irrigation canals of tea plantations, a few hundred meters from human settlements.

The herd does not return to the burial site

“Through timely observations, digital photographs, field notes and autopsy reports, we suggest that the remains were buried in the eerie manner of a recumbent figure, whatever the reason for the child's death.” , indicates the study.

In one case, the herd was observed trumpeting around the buried calf. Each time, the elephants left the scene "within 40 minutes of burial" and avoided returning to the same place. Only young ones are buried in this way, as transportation of adults is not possible. On the other hand, we already knew that elephants visit the remains of their conspecifics at different stages of decomposition.

Authors Parveen Kaswan and Akashdeep Roy said their research revealed "no direct human intervention" in the burial of each of the five baby elephants.

Clear footprints of 15 to 20 elephants were observed around the burial sites and on the earth under which the remains were buried.

Elephants are known for their social and cooperative behavior, but burying calves had only been "briefly studied" among African elephants. The phenomenon was still unexplored among their Asian cousins, according to the study.

Wild African and Asian elephants are known to visit the remains of their adult counterparts at different stages of decomposition, but this study revealed different behaviors. In all five cases, the herd "fled the site within 40 minutes of burial" and then avoided returning to the area, instead taking parallel migration routes.

Asian elephants are on the list of endangered species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. An estimated 26,000 of them live in the wild, mainly in India but there are also a few in Southeast Asia.

Outside of captivity, they live on average 60 to 70 years.