I think they are.

in general, fear of pain can be also fear of death, as pain would often come before it, at least for non-old age, right?

sounds right to me. most of the things that will kill you, also hurt, so why not say that fear of pain, is pretty much the same as fear of death.

I guess they could be, but I think it requires more self awareness than typical animals have. I think some may misinterpret self preservation for fear of death. The cat that runs out of the way of an approaching car probably isn't thinking about dying, but fleeing something that appears to be coming at that very fast. Now, the higher animals like Dolphins or Primates, hmm, maybe they might. There is some slim evidence that Gorillas (Such as Koko) can show deep sorrow and empathy so it might not be a big stretch to think that might have an inkling about their own morality.


"Their relationship ended abrubtly in December of 1984, when All Ball escaped from the gorilla cage and was killed by a car. Koko was extrememly distraught over the death of All Ball and spoke of it soon after:

When asked, "Do you want to talk about your kitty?"
Koko signed, "Cry."
"What happened to your kitty?"
Koko answered, "Sleep cat."
When she saw a picture of a cat who looked very much like All Ball, Koko pointed to the picture and signed, "Cry, sad, frown."

Koko's mourning attracted a great deal of attention from the scientific community. Debates raged over whether or not animals have "emotions" in the human sense."

Animals are afraid of death, like when they try to swim when they get instantly into water.

I don't think most of them now such a thing exists.

they eat each other, so they might be :P

I do not think they would know consciously.. but instinct, maybe?

I agree with this one. I think they just know they have to stay safe and survive.

Agreed. Sounds good to me.

Agreed as well. Animals don't really comprehend death because they don't really comprehend life or existence, so far as we know. They do try to avoid death, but that's because the animals which DIDN'T avoid death all died out long ago =p

Alot of the consensus of animals fearing, is brought into two scenarios: 1.) the animal is aware that most things do end, like confronted with a dead colleague; and 2.) the animal is unaware of death untouched by it, couldn't've bring it up in conversation, so the animal lives untill death to where it's confused of what's going on until it's over.

It would make sense that animals fear death. Why else would they run away or try to fight off predators. All living beings have a similar consciousness. We could not possibly say that they don't or do not as well for we don't know whats going through an animal's mind.

cells are living things too and they're not afraid to die. We are after all just a collection of cells :P

Yes but cells also transmit the emotions for which we feel. Like fear. Or in this case fear of death

Those cells argent individual living things like single cellular organisms.

And are also one of the most important cells in the body. That's a good argument. But what question are we asking about single celled organisms or multicell-organism. You could asy animals like bacteria and amoeba may rely on instinct and it may be true, but when we go to multi-celled living organisms. Like mammals, how do we know if they don't experience fear. They are mammals like us. We are animals just like they are. If we experience fear. Their organ systems from their circulatory to their nervous system reacts in the same way as ours. Whose to say that they don't experience the same emotions as we do every once in awhile.

Right, but the most of those animals aren't sentient, the don't even know they exist.
There's only what... 3 sentient beings on this planet? Apes, Porpoises, and Squid?

Sorry for taking so long to respond. I was busy helping my grandmother. Now back to our discussion. To be sentient is ability to be able to feel things. They say that gorillas, porpoises and squids are the only ones that are sentient. But how do we really know that. Seeing the way animals react to each other. Wild or domestic can you really say they don't know what feelings mean. I have eight dogs in my backyard. One of them has mange that I'm in the process of getting rid of (mange not the dog). It was known to be very sickly since birth. It's barely active at all. Every now and then one of the dogs sit by it and lick its face and show affection towards it. How can you do this without feeling some sort of emotion. Instinct doesn't tell a dog to go and lick the ones who feeling bad in the face. Or when I come home, they jump up, run, wag their tails and want to lick all over me. Is this instinct or affection. Who to say there are only 3 sentient beings in the worlld. Scientists! Time and time through history has discovered things about this world and its inhabitants. We are known to be wrong numerous times about the world. We make laws about physics, biology, and chemistry. Just for them to be corrected or proven wrong by future generations. New organisms are discovered through time. How do we know they aren't sentient. You can't always relie on what science says. Because science is not always right. I'm not saying that I'm right either. But, my problem is how can animals be showing these rituals of affection towards one another and not be feeling anything. It just doesn't seem possible to me.

You say that because you don't feel things the way they do. A dog does not fear death because there si nothing after it, like we do. They fear death because instinct tells them to preserve their life.

Nut that's my entire point. Who is to say that they do.

Whoops I meant to say that's my point

therefore, evolution comes

Perhaps it's just instinct, or they're just afraid of getting hurt.

You could say instinct or you could say out of fear of being hurt. But why would someone fear being hurt. Is it because of the pain. Sometimes when you die you feel pain right before it. Wouldn't fearing that pain also mean fearing death itself. Why else some animals are known to freeze when they see a car headlights? Is instinct telling it to stand their and let itself run over. There must be something causing it to freeze. It can't be instinct. I believe there is a thought process going on here. When you think about it. Why else would animals do certain things. If you think about it we are animals too. Why do we do certain things. I've seen the elephant mother be shot down before. In front of its child by some poachers. Luckily, they were police in the area and the poachers were arrested (watched this sometime on national geographic, don't remember the actual date). The elephant childs was pushing its mother and crying out. This shows that the baby must be going through a thought process and feeling emotions. If a animal can feel this emotion. Why not fear?

Self preservation covers running away from pain and your predator. Death doesn't even enter into it.

This is making me think of my sweet dog dying. I still like him! :c

Well you could say that they are because you have the instinct of self-preservation that all living things possess. In us this instinct is what gives us our fear of death and allows us to take as much action as we can to extend it out as long as we can.

With this instinct all organisms develop techniques and elements to maintain their optimal level and to prevent their destruction (death). All organisms if given the chance will also be able to sense and avoid dangerous situations that could cause this as well and you can see that on a daily basis.

Though beyond instinct lies the realm of conscious thought and that depends on the organisms. We know more complex animals like Primates, Cetaceans, Cephlapods (squid and the like) and Elephants (who actually mourn lost comrades) all are capable of social and emotional behaviours and they possess a capable enough brain to do so. Not all animals do at least to our knowledge so conscious thought as we see it is still something only the most complex have. You could say communication in the form of neurotransmitters or other chemicals designed to carry signals and trigger responses is a from of communication and thus a definition of "thought" but we as humans do not define thought in such matter only instinct

Other than that We don't know what many complex organisms perceive about death and its effects. There is certainly enough there to say its possible if they are capable of conscious thought.

eh. I think they fear dying a greusome, painful death... not so much a peaceful death. Considering how often I've seen and heard about how animals will go and find a quiet place to die....


...oh god.... flash back..... horrible flash back to having 6 pets poisoned in one night........ so.... many.... dead....bodies..... dead.... cat.... faces.... must destroy visuals....



..................................................gone! X3

0.0 Holy shit! I was pondering this exact same question last night before I went to sleep!

I guess it'd depend on whether or not they're able to look at others of their species dying/dead and realize that could happen to them too. Seems likely the higher mammals would be able to figure that out. After all, we humans deeply fear death and it's unlikely it'd be so ingrained in us if we hadn't inherited it from our animal ancestors.

Time is a man made concept.

Thats an interesting question....

I strongly believe that the biological meaning of life boils down to two things. Call it unimaginative, call it unromantic, but I'm a biologist and I've watched a lot of animals.

A) Reproduce
B) Preserve Self
Either can take priority of the other, but all behavior and activities seek to fulfill these mandates.

Seeing as how every animal strives to fulfill both objectives, it only makes sense that they have an inborn aversion towards fulfilling the opposite (i.e. dying). I'm not certain whether that would count or not, as fear is a very abstract thing. There's a fine line between fear and excitement, and animals can certainly be excited through various stimuli, but I don't think anyone is certain it bridges the gap into the realm of fear.

I think the second mandate is unnecessary. There are plenty of animals that will forego their own survival in order to reproduce.

A good point, butI believe it should be there, because up until they're ready to copulate most organisms will do anything just to survive.

So that they can ensure that they do reproduce.

Yes. An organism will not endanger itself unless it is to reproduce. What do you think of my actual hyopthesis, though?

But then again you have the praying mantis ritual. The male always dies. That must suck to die while losing your virginity.

I've not overlooked this fact. Does a male feed himself willingly to a female without at least attempting to mate with it? No.
What creature throws itself into the jaws of a predator with the intent to simply end its life? None.

I don't think it's a fear of death as much as it is the instinct and desire to survive and continue living.

Hmm..interesting question.

I for one don't know. <:' I don't think animals clearly know if there is an afterlife for them or not. I for one don't believe it's such considering that animals don't have souls as we humans do. <:)

I think their "fear" goes as far as their survival instincts. They live to stay alive and so long as they're alive, I don't think they have much else to worry about as far as things go.

Its one of those things we'll never be able to know unless we can ask them and understand them ourselves. its open to so much debate. but in the end. Anything is possible quite really.

I bet they do think of it sometimes...though, its hard to say, they may not want to think on it, so they dont, they are afraid of death, but they usually dont fear it as much as we do...why i feel there lucky

O.o
... the question never came up...
well... when some animals smell death they avoid it by any means possible, but others will be instantly intrigued... ei: carnivores, scavengers, and the occasional over curious mut x3
but also there's the case of hunter and prey....... why ells would the zebra run from the lion if not to live?? lol. could be just for good sport i guess =P

meh. my logic says they do fear death =/

While I was writing a response to the tune of "animals don't understand death", I was reminded (by myself) that Elephants have a sixth sense and know when they're dying and thus make a treck to an elephant graveyard which is usually scattered with other elephant bones.

Wolves collectively howl at the moon when their pack leader dies prematurely.

Some animals understand the concept of death, but I don't think they fear it. They may fear the "prospect of death" like the fox that bites it's own leg off to escape a hunter's trap. If it wasn't afraid it would just sit there and challenge whatever came to open the trap.

Some animals aren't smart enough to understand the concept of death, like house cats. They're pretty stupid naturally.

However I don't think anything should really fear death. I don't. It doesn't mean I want to die, it's just something that doesn't bother me...so when are you going to draw Holly again?

I would actually argue against the comment about house cats being stupid. House cats are considered to be skilled hunters and are known to kill the most species for and animal in the feline category believe it or not. There has to be some intelligence behind that.

That's instinct, not intelligence. An example of intelligence are dogs. With the right training a dog can do ANYTHING (within reason). When have you ever heard of a cat that helps the blind. Or Bomb Sniffing Cats, it's not likely. They lack the brain power to be trained AS EXTENSIVELY as dogs. Anything can kill stuff, doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist.

......................touche

Don't think too much into it. I just don't like cats.

All creatures are afraid of death simply as a means to avoid it. prey animals are adapted to run away from anything which can cause them lethal harm, correct?

As far as we know, they haven't any conscience of it even when confronted to the death of another one, apart at the VERY moment they are going to die.
There are a few exceptions though, it seems : some creatures, when they are confronted to the death of their own specimens, do show some reactions that can easily be interpreted as a conscience of that state : elefants and some most evolved primates, of course, but also hippopotamus, maybe dogs...

Ah, yes. Animals try to survive to avoid death. I think they're afraid of it -- I mean, most humans are, so it's only fair to reason that they are too.

I've wondered that too. It's a fact that apes have the tendancy to fear death, that's no surprise but I assume you are referring more towards dogs, cats, mice...

I don't really know enough about their brains to really have a proper opinion. Trying to rationalize why 'we' fear death... there's two parts really.

1: We fear death on the same fasion we fear pain. In this sense, I do believe dogs and cats and so on fear death.

2: We fear death because we try to rationalize the next step. In other words, we try to create or interpret the great unknown and try to create what we would like it to be. That's a product of our frontal lobes and thus I question if animals fear death for these reasons.

Of the two pets that I've had to put down due to old age, they always seemed horribly sad on the table. So I'd say yes. T.T

You horrible bastard you put down your animals. . I'm just playing. Sometimes you got to do it. It must of been hard to do that. But wait how come you put down your dogs due to old age. I don't understand.

One had hip problems, his liver and kidneys failing. The other was a cat, 15 years old, so she was puking up blood, so mom didn't want her to suffer.

Sorta.. I think they know its a fact of life so they know its there.. but they are so Into living its like "EH BUMMER DYING"

I would say that animals are afraid of death, it's guaranteed by natural selection.
Whether or not animals *worry* about death is very different. That would be demonstrating consciousness, a thing that some species (and to a lesser extent, individuals) have and others do not.

They're sure struggling for life, otherwise a prey wouldn't try to escape the predator.
So yes, they're afraid of death, but it's in their instinct.

They may.

Deep :O

they are afraid of whatever hurts, so they are afraid of death... most of our fears can be traced up to the fear of death, simply because pain, can lead to death

i would think that
1.they are aware on some level of it
2.because they are aware of it,it causes them fear on a primal level

No. Most animals, from what I've seen, do not panic or show concern when faced with death. They do their absolute best to avoid it, and fight back anything that might be trying to make them dead, but if an animal is sick or old and knows it will soon die, they do it with a lot more grace than most humans do.

Or at the least, cats do. Cats know precisely when they're going to die, and will leave their family, wander off alone to find some place quiet, and then they lay down and die. It's kind of noble when you think about it..

I think fear becomes more prominent, as you get higher in the orders of magnitude of intelligence. Fish don't fear, they react on instinct alone in order to preserve themselves until the point where they can reproduce. A goldfish's attention span is quite short, if I recall.

Now as you consequently get higher in the food chain, to more and more sophisticated creatures (Canines, felines, even larger animals like elephants), they exhibit traits much more becoming of sapient thought and rationality, very much including fear. Many such animals express body language concurrent with the general perception of being afraid--they shrink up a bit to look less threatening, ears are folded, occasionally a soft cry is uttered.
Yes, I believe the more advanced animals in our world are very capable of understanding fear.

it seems to all keep going around to if animals have the emotion to fear death, if an animal knows death it can fear it, after all my cat is afraid of lightning so it knows fear, just because it hasn't stood up and told me it fears death doesn't lead me to believe it doesn't, if it can fear one thing it can fear others and Ive seen it able to love creatures with no want to couple, it used to sleep in with us but no every night it sleeps out with the dog, it cleans the dogs face and always purrs when near the dog, will it mourn when the dog is gone, definitely, will it feel the loss and perhaps fear its own, i'm certain that it will

no.

the fear of pain is just a means of control.
every other behavior, same thing, hunger, sex, attachment. it's all pretty cold and mechanical. i've noticed this while raising kittens, and realizing that the mother really doesn't give a shit about her kittens, and doesn't really understand why she's milking them or anything. it's just a self-serving mechanism that they don't even know they're a part of.
only difference.... we realize it. but it doesn't seem very helpful.

Elephants deserve some credit. They have a lot of interesting behaviors that are akin to grieving over their dead.
What is different though is that while some animals might fear death, very few and probably only humans can fear a concept of "non existence".

I think the human fear of death is an over association of death with pain. Humans fear pain thus death, but animals don't over think these things.

Here is a Scientific American article saying that humans can't even imagine death, and that imagining life after death may not be a form of terror management after all. Do we truly fear death, or just the dying process?

Oops! Forgot to post the link: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=never-say-die

I think animals might have a better understanding of the importance of death than humans do. I would think they would know when it is neccessary to risk or even sacrifice their own life for the good of others, as well as when their life needs to hold more value than the life of another... or maybe i'm just looking at mammals too much, i'm not too sure about other animals.

Well, given that we are animals, I think a more appropriate question is at what point is an animal intelligent enough to be self-aware.

are they realy know that they die? i mean oneday flys as example...

i think they dont know anything about until it happend... an ape maybe does

Seems to me that the entire focus of every living thing is to live, and to avoid those things that will end that life. Though I wouldn't go so far as to say animals are afraid of death itself, since that would need a bit more intelligence on their part, I do believe that they realize simply that pain will in most cases equate to it if they receive too much, and so they avoid it.

The only cases in which animals will endure a certain amount of pain, as far as I know, are when it's in a fight that is not usually meant to end in death, in cases where not feeling that pain might result in death, such as traveling a barren expanse of terrain in search of food and water, or when they aren't given much choice. Even in that last option, most animals (wild ones anyway) seem to have defenses against it, such as going catatonic when the pain leading to death is experienced.

So basically, I think that most animals link death to extreme amounts of pain in their minds. If you think of the number of roadkilled animals over the decades of cars being around, you can see how this works. It doesn't hurt to cross a street... and even though most animals know how cars work and that they normally run on these black surfaces, they show no sign of worry crossing one. I've often wondered why, after tens of years, cars haven't really evoked a predator response in those animals most often killed by them, and this is part of my conclusion; since they're not hurt by the act of walking on the street, they don't feel compelled to be worried about dying while doing it.

Probably not, but I think domesticated animals might share some fears with humans, likely ones we give them...

Yet another wonderful thought raping entry of yours...

I think Bertrand Russell epitamises best what I wish to say on this subject.
Basically, he stated that the one thing which really sets humans apart from animals is that while we both are aware of our own personal sensations, only humans are aware of our awareness and we therefore make choices based on that awareness.

From this I would say that although there is strong empirical evidence to suggest that animals do have a survival instinct we must ask: "What do we mean when we say we have a fear of death?"

Going back to my first point, I believe that animals do not have a concept of their own mortality. The fear of death is in my mind an intirely human concept. Spawned by being aware of death then building apon its idea.

yups. they has survival instinct so they has instinctual fear of death.

On a primal level, of course. But I seriously doubt they possess a fear of 'conceptual' death, like most humans. Because animals don't preceive time, so they can't understand the idea of mortality. They simple 'are.'