• Question: Is it true animals can sense death?

    Asked by yooda to Bob, Katie, Nisha, Sallie, Vee on 27 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Sallie Baxendale

      Sallie Baxendale answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      We cant ever really know what animals are ‘thinking’. Their brains are just too different to ours. But it certainly seems to be the case that animals can sense illness in themselves and others and they recognise when another animals are dead too.

    • Photo: Vee Mitchell

      Vee Mitchell answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      When an animal dies it is thought to release a smell which other animals can sense as death. This fact effects how animals are used for research, if an animal has to be put to sleep is taken into a separate area away from other animals so it doesn’t cause the other animals any stress.

    • Photo: Bob Bonwick

      Bob Bonwick answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      It is considered that some animals can tell if something is close to death, or at least can spot the signs. Vultures are seen to circle the skies above an animal that is old or about to dies from lack of water/food. Cats are said to sense if a person is close to death too.

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