As the female orca known as Tahlequah once again carries the body of a dead calf through waters near Vancouver Island, for the second time in seven years, researcher Barbara J. King says thereB次元官网网址檚 no mistaking the nature of the phenomenon.

King said sheB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渕ore convinced than ever that animals, many animals, are expressing grief that emerges from love.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 do feel that more and more scientists are embracing these words, full stop,B次元官网网址� said the author of the 2014 book B次元官网网址淗ow Animals Grieve.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭here have been more and more credibly documented reports across species of animals expressing sorrow when they survive the death of a loved one.B次元官网网址�

On Thursday, the Washington-state-based Center for Whale Research said in a Facebook post that the mother, also known as J35, was seen pushing the remains of a calf on Jan. 10 between Vancouver Island and San Juan Island in Washington state. That was at least 10 days since the death of the calf, whose body Tahlequah was initially observed pushing on New YearB次元官网网址檚 Eve.

In 2018, Tahlequah captured worldwide attention when she carried the body of a calf for 17 days.

King said the way TahlequahB次元官网网址檚 first B次元官网网址済rief swimB次元官网网址� was interpreted has now B次元官网网址渂een affirmed by everything weB次元官网网址檝e come to know about animal emotions.B次元官网网址�

When King took the stage in Vancouver for a Ted Talk about animal grief in 2019, she began with the story of Tahlequah.

King said sheB次元官网网址檚 grieving again, along with the orca mother.

B次元官网网址淚 do call her Tahlequah, and not by her alphanumeric,B次元官网网址� said King, who is emerita professor of anthropology at VirginiaB次元官网网址檚 William & Mary public university, and a research fellow at PAN Works, a centre for animal ethics. B次元官网网址淚 feel connected to her as another mammalian mother, and I felt great sorrow in hearing this news.B次元官网网址�

But itB次元官网网址檚 not just orcas that grieve. KingB次元官网网址檚 research cites grief and mourning among a range of animals, from baboons, to elephants, cats and ducks.

King said scientists are now embracing the idea that animals experience sorrow and loss, which wasnB次元官网网址檛 always the case.

She said that when she was getting her education, using such words to describe animalsB次元官网网址� emotions wasnB次元官网网址檛 the norm.

B次元官网网址淲e had to say that animals spent time in proximity or they exhibited an unusual facial expression, and we avoided those emotion words,B次元官网网址� King said.

But, she added, B次元官网网址渢he field has really changed.B次元官网网址�

King said orcas are highly intelligent animals that form tight social bonds, aware of their surroundings and relationships, and TahlequahB次元官网网址檚 behaviour indicates she is indeed mourning the death of her calf.

B次元官网网址淚 am as sure as I can be in a scientific framework that thereB次元官网网址檚 an expression here of her sorrow,B次元官网网址� King said.

B次元官网网址淲e know by now that animal joy, animal sorrow, animal fear, animal happiness, animal grief, the whole gamut exists. So these emotions donB次元官网网址檛 (just) belong to humans.B次元官网网址�

King said it is important to limit B次元官网网址渇anciful interpretationsB次元官网网址� of animal behaviours, but she said TahlequahB次元官网网址檚 actions in recent weeks are clear.

B次元官网网址淭his is seeing an animal who is repeatedly telling us that she has lost someone dear to her, and she is expressing that to us,B次元官网网址� she said.

She said she hopes people will be B次元官网网址済alvanizedB次元官网网址� by TahlequahB次元官网网址檚 tragedy to think more deeply about how people treat animals and their environments.

King said people seem willing to care about certain animals like chimps, orcas and elephants, over others such as dairy cows whose calves are taken from them soon after birth, and whose mothers also appear to grieve the separation.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a very interesting sort of set of biases about who we admit into this club, our moral circle,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淔or me, itB次元官网网址檚 what is the next step to make a difference for these animals so that we are not contributing to the harms and the deaths of these orca calves in this pod and in others.

B次元官网网址淲hat I want to do is find a way as best I can to galvanize people to say, B次元官网网址業 care about Tahlequah, OK? HereB次元官网网址檚 what IB次元官网网址檓 going to do about it,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� she said.