Animal Suicide, By Lindsay F. Mineo (imported article)

Animal suicide is a topic that sparks robust debate among scientists and animal behaviorists. Obviously people have the ability to end their own lives voluntarily, but do animals? When animals go off to die is it suicide or some instinctual habit of sickness or old age?

Why would an entire pod of more than 60 whales beach themselves? One whale might be sick and dying and unable to support himself in order to breathe, leading him to travel to shallow waters and eventually (purposefully or accidentally) end up on the beach, but dozens at the same time? Barring some unfortunate contamination in the waters, animal suicide doesn't quite make sense.

The reason animal suicide doesn't quite make sense is that scientists and animal behaviorists don't attribute human emotions to animals. It's called anthropomorphizing and it's a big no-no (except most people do it anyway). Attributing human emotions to animal behaviors can make studying animal behaviors complicated, especially behaviors that appear to be suicide. Human suicide is an intensely emotional act. If animals are committing suicide it means several things:

1) Animals have an awareness of themselves, including that they're alive.

2) Animals recognize that a specific act or series of events will end their lives, it's not just an instinct.

3) Animals have the emotional and/or cognitive ability to make a choice between life and death.

So, do animals have these abilities? If might be easy for us to recognize the difference between dolphins (which can voluntarily stop breathing and drown) and ants (which will leave a colony if they contract a communicable disease), but are either of them "committing suicide?" It's difficult to say for the same reasons it's difficult to say what animals are feeling or thinking on a day to day basis. Do they really know what they're doing and what the implications are? The problem lies within our wording: suicide is an inherently human word. But then again, all words are human words. Many animals will end their lives when they contract a disease, particularly when those animals are part of a group or a hed and the disease can devastate that group, which leads scientists to believe that it's not suicide as we know it. But don't many human individuals with neurological or physical disorders commit suicide? Seems like a fine line that straddles little more than connotation and may perhaps be a natural reaction for all animals.

Lindsay writes her animal loving blog Miniature Mastadon and, right up until her senior year of high school, was going to work with animals. After changing courses and getting a degree in writing, she ended up working in a zoo for a little more than a year. Being face to face with rhinos, giraffes, ostriches, gaur and even super close to an elephant herd (faves) dawned the realization that she can't quite ignore the need to be involved in some way. The Miniature Mastadon is an outlet to write about animal news, triumphs, discoveries, and even some sadness. All discussion, thoughts, questions and stories are most fully welcome so come chime in!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsay_F_Mineo

http://EzineArticles.com/?Animal-Suicide&id=6742201

  

   

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check out, maybe get involved to make a difference... 

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - aspca.org, ...join the fight against puppy mills
• American Humane Association (voice for protection of children and animals)

Animal-Assisted Therapy »

"Providing healing, motivation and comfort through the power of the human-animal bond."

Nomination open now for the 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards™

• Petfinder.com (no affiliation) to Rescue / Find Pet / Group / Lost & Found Pet option with email alerts /Charity Click and Free - Sign petition, send e-card, more

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Human Companion needs (no affiliation) with any:

Excerpts follow under public domain fair use of government's  respective websites as noted, content and copyright attributable to same:

• American Psychological Association (apa.org) - pop topics / Suicide

"Suicide is the act of killing yourself, most often as a result of depression or other mental illness.

In the United States, suicide accounts for about 2 percent of all deaths. Rates are highest for men over 69, but are increasing alarmingly in young people aged 15 to 24."

Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology

"What You Can Do

Suicide warning signs

• Losing interest in work or school, giving away beloved possessions and withdrawing from friends can be signs someone is thinking of suicide. Learn how to recognize the danger signals.

Getting Help

• Find a Psychologist
• Teen Suicide is Preventable

  Teen suicide is a growing health concern. It is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24.

News

• Anti-suicide app aims to help U.S. soldiers

  December 15, 2011, Reuters  

  
  

  
  

  Related Topics

  • Death & dying
  • Trauma
  • Therapy "

  
  

  
  

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The costar on TV’s House, Epps reaches out to veterans and their families to help save lives.

By Matt McMillen 

"Facts about Military Suicides

An estimated 6,000 veterans take their own lives each year. Male veterans are about one and a half times more likely to commit suicide than non-veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs."

Author's Note

Actually skimmed title, some content and was thinking "funny".. reconsidered perspective after really reading article. since animal intelligence challenges human understanding. Animal assisted therapy, therapy for animals are mainstream, perhaps in therapeutic beneficial partnership between people and pets, not just all about people. Inexplicably, pets in nursing homes point out the ill and those dying, dogs ...and other animals not human challenge human presumptions and prejudices about their capabilities not only with affection, love...but maybe death. It had never occurred to me that there was ...even an issue let alone possibility of free will of that grim act. Live and learn. We don't know it all. Life is learning.
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visuals inserted on my end, not author's
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free images courtesy of morgueFile, any use, non-attribution required
free article from ezinearticles.com