Do Animals Commit Suicide? Reasons!

Ever heard of animals committing suicide? In many instances, we hear of suicides among humans cutting across the age groups. However, when it comes to animal suicide, many a time, the question may be asked, does an animal commit suicide? We will discuss it here briefly.

Yes, animals do commit suicide but not like humans; they have their own way. This might sound weird but is the reality.

A strong reason for such a reaction is that animals lack the faculty of making self-reflection. Self-reflection is no other than a serious thought, and this is one. Committing suicide involves killing oneself, which goes against all the evolution for self-survival. Further, it also required faculty to understand the outcome of the suicide. That is death. Animals don’t possess these faculties and cannot be in a position to commit suicide. Thus, animal suicide has been refuted as a hoax.

UNDERGO STRESS OF THE ANIMALS:

However, there are certain contexts in reality when animals undergo suffering from respect to their mental health. Stress is likely to make them pushed into a depression. However, this is only one of the strong reasons that may lead animals to commit suicide. However, it is not certain, if they really do. Questions may again arise if there are chances that may result in an animal commit suicide.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT ABOUT ANIMAL SUICIDE:

Even during the times of Aristotle, such questions were raised. Aristotle is said to have given an example of a horse that flung himself into a low lying valley. There is a case reported in 1875 where a stage jumped from height and killed himself instead of being killed by dogs. Also, monkeys are said to feel sad when their fried leave this world. This can be yet another instance of animal suicide.

DO PET ANIMALS COMMIT SUICIDE?

Even pet animals find that their masters have left this world, they do not commit suicide. Of course, they do it another way, they do not take food when served by others. This, they do so because the pet animals are so used to their masters they do not likely to take food given by others. By this it can be easily answered, if animals commit suicide.

EXAMPLES:

Mother Spiders are said to allow their young to eat them. This is not a case of suicide as experts say. It is one of the best forms of motherly care for the young – even they sacrifice their own body and die so that the young could get the necessary food and survive.

All these instances do not suffice that the case that animal suicide really happens. Suicide is killing the self with a purpose – that you are aware that you are killing yourself.

The real case is that animals tend to skip taking care of them – don’t eat and take care of themselves. This happens without their consciousness. They are not able to cope with the new situation – they were in a close bond with their animals. The best example could be pet dogs. Once their beloved ones are not there, they don’t take food and take care of themselves. Ultimately they kill themselves without being aware they what they are inflicting on themselves.

Experts don’t agree with the view that animals commit suicide. By this, it cannot be said that animals do not make suicide. They may die in a completely different way which makes us believe that they did suicide.  For example, when an animal living in water comes out and suffers dies, too many people it may look like a suicide. For experts, the reasons are said to be ill health, loss of track of the pack or frustration. All this again raises the question, Does an animal commit suicide?