Do animals worry silently about old age and eventual death?

Answer 1

The jury is still out on this, but there are some examples that do suggest what you are asking is within the capacity of certain nonhuman animals. Elephants are known to visit and revisit bone graveyards and gently touch the skulls of family members long dead and role them around in the dirt. This behavior, which has been observed in several different locations (see Cynthia Moss's "Elephant Memories") does not have any known explanation, and serves no apparent benefit for them. I myself have seen monkeys carry around the decayed corpses of their infants for many days, long after they have ceased resembling anything that was once alive. A recent study in baboons showed that they bereaved the death of friends and family members lost to leopard predation for at least several months. It is apparent in all of these cases that animals have the capacity to reflect on the loss of loved ones in the past. If this understanding includes the formation of a concept of "death" than it is likely that this could be feared as something that will happen in the future in the same way as other unpleasant experiences like "pain" are. Again, I think the possibility is certainly there, and deserves a serious study.

Answer 2

Yes, that's why they reproduce.

If they knew that they were going to live forever then there wouldn't be a natural instinct to continue on with the species. Since they know they are mortal then there is a constant worry about birthing the "best" next generation.

Animals should also know about getting old because it's not as if they are unaffected by age.

Answer 3

Nope - not much existential angst out there.
The best way I've found to think of it is to consider that their sense of time is different from ours.... a dog, for instance, has a little bit of "just happened", a whole lot of "right now", and a bit of "not yet". He doesn't look far into the future the way we do, doesn't seem to brood about the past or worry about the future, and seems to be blessed with a lack of knowledge that he's going to die.

Answer 4

I just asked Ms. Izzy, my 13 yr. old Cocker/Wire Hair mix. While not audible, the only thing I could get out of her is she had to go out & take a nature call. I'm sure they must realize something's goin' on........She can no longer jump-up the almost 3.5 ft. to get on to the bed, on most days & when she can , has to get a good running start. Same goes with getting in my Jeep. Does she worry about it? I think not.

Answer 5

No. Dogs don't rationalize like people do. They know nothing about death or getting old or dying. Dogs just live from day to day and are happy to be well taken care of. At least that is my opinion for what it is worth.

Answer 6

I'd say no, and I disagree w/#1 answer, they reproduce because there in heat and will continue till they're fixed. I think it's more that we know there getting old and there time is coming to an end, give'em treat's and lotsa love till the end, everyone will be happy.

Answer 7

Yes what if you were to be executed and they injected you with that stuff tha tputs you to sleep?Or just dying in your sleep?Drowning is actually pretty painless I mean sure you panic but then your body goes limb and its peaceful.So yes there is such thing as a painless death I hope I die that way.Natural Causes.

Answer 8

animals worry about age because it affects everything they can do.

animals should also worry about death because they do know that they can die.

Answer 9

Not in the way we do. They really don't have the self-awareness like humans do. They do have the self-preservation instinct, though-which is different.

Answer 10

i think no. animals only have basic instincts.