Mother Dolphin Carries Dead Calf, Refuses to Let Go in Heart-Rending Video

If there were ever any doubt that animals form strong bonds with each other and mourn the loss of one of their own, look no further than this story. All animals have a complex emotional life.

This dolphin mom was videoed ferrying her dead calf through her ocean home near China, refusing to let them go. She could carry her calf’s body for days, according to a local researcher.

Heartbreaking video: Mother dolphin refuses to let dead calf go pic.twitter.com/KygEUIB3Hs

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) September 15, 2021

There are thousands of videos like these online, and many have been viewed millions of times, captivating the Internet and garnering emotional responses from viewers. Though animals may mourn in different ways, one thing is clear: They feel loss very deeply.

When animals are used for food, clothing, experiments, or entertainment, families are torn apart, and animals undoubtedly mourn the loss very deeply.

If you are among the millions affected by these powerful videos, you can help animals every day by making the compassionate decision to switch to a vegan lifestyle, which saves nearly 200 animals’ lives every year.

The good news? Animals can also feel very, very happy: