Can Animals Sense When Another Animal Is Dying? What Science Reveals About Their Awareness

When a dog suddenly becomes unusually attentive to an ageing companion, when a cat refuses to leave the side of another animal that is seriously ill, or when an elephant remains close to a dying member of its herd, it is difficult not to wonder whether animals recognise that death is approaching. Are they responding to changes in behaviour, detecting something through their senses that humans cannot perceive, or simply reacting to the condition of an individual they know?

For centuries, stories about animals sensing death have been part of human observation. Some owners describe pets that appear to understand when another animal is nearing the end of its life, while others report unusual behaviour shortly before a companion dies. Although these accounts are often interpreted as evidence of a special awareness of mortality, science offers a more complex explanation. Animals possess sensory abilities that allow them to detect subtle physical and behavioural changes, and research has documented how different species respond to dying and deceased individuals. The question is whether these abilities allow them to recognise death itself, or whether they are responding to signs that humans may overlook.

Can Animals Detect That Another Animal Is Dying?

The ability to recognise that another animal is unwell is not necessarily the same as knowing that it is approaching death. An animal may notice changes in movement, breathing, body temperature, posture, vocalisation or scent without understanding the medical condition responsible for them.

These differences are particularly interesting in social species, where individuals regularly observe and interact with one another. Animals that live together become familiar with each other's routines, movements and behaviour. A companion that suddenly stops eating, moves less frequently or responds differently to social contact may therefore attract unusual attention.

The scientific field of comparative thanatology, which examines how animals perceive and respond to death, has begun investigating these behaviours more systematically. Researchers study the sensory information animals use to distinguish living individuals from dying or deceased ones, including visual, chemical and tactile signals.

A review published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B in 2018 by researchers André Gonçalves and Dora Biro examined evidence from different animal groups, including elephants, primates, cetaceans, birds and insects. Their work demonstrated that responses to death are not limited to one species or one type of behaviour. Animals may investigate, avoid, touch, protect or remain near deceased individuals, depending on their biology and social organisation.

However, there is an important limitation: observing a reaction to illness or death does not establish that an animal can predict when another individual will die.

The Extraordinary Sense of Smell

One of the most scientifically interesting explanations lies in the animal sense of smell. Dogs, in particular, possess an exceptionally developed olfactory system that allows them to distinguish chemical signals that are difficult or impossible for humans to detect.

Every living organism produces volatile organic compounds, commonly known as VOCs. These substances are released through processes involving metabolism and can be found in breath, skin emissions, urine and other bodily materials. Their composition can change when an organism develops an infection, experiences inflammation or undergoes other physiological changes.

This means that illness can alter an animal's scent, even when the visible symptoms are relatively subtle.

Research into canine olfaction has demonstrated that specially trained dogs can distinguish certain disease-associated odour patterns. A 2021 review published in BMC Infectious Diseases examined studies involving the detection of different conditions, including infections, cancers and metabolic disorders. It explained how changes in the body's chemical profile may provide detectable signals for trained dogs.

These findings are particularly relevant when considering whether one animal can recognise that another is seriously ill. A dog may detect changes in a companion's scent before the condition becomes obvious to a human observer.

Nevertheless, detecting illness and predicting death are two different abilities. There is currently no established scientific evidence that dogs can reliably identify when another animal is about to die simply through smell. Their sensitivity to chemical changes may explain certain observations, but it does not prove an understanding of approaching mortality.

Elephants: Responding to a Dying Companion

Elephants provide some of the most compelling examples of animal responses to dying individuals. Their social relationships are complex, and members of a herd maintain long-term associations that can involve cooperation, protection and close physical contact.

Researchers have documented elephants approaching sick or dying members of their groups, touching them with their trunks, investigating their bodies and sometimes attempting to support individuals that can no longer stand.

A scientific study published in 2019 examined three directly observed cases involving free-ranging Asian elephants. The researchers recorded behaviours occurring before, during and after the death of individual elephants. In all three cases, other elephants displayed exploratory behaviour, including sniffing and physical inspection. Some also attempted to support dying calves, while one adult female produced high-frequency vocalisations in the presence of a dying calf.

These observations suggest that elephants respond to the physical condition of other members of their species in ways that go beyond simple avoidance. Their behaviour may involve social attachment, distress and attempts to provide assistance.

Elephants also show considerable interest in the remains of deceased individuals. They have been observed inspecting bones, touching skulls and tusks and investigating places where other elephants have died.

However, scientists remain cautious about interpreting these actions. An elephant approaching a dying companion may recognise that something is seriously wrong without necessarily understanding that death is inevitable. Its behaviour may reflect an attempt to respond to a familiar individual in distress.

Dogs and Cats: Can Companion Animals Recognise When Another Pet Is Dying?

Domestic animals present a particularly interesting subject because they often share their living environments with individuals of another species or with other animals for many years.

Dogs and cats become familiar with the routines of their companions, including their movements, sounds, eating habits and patterns of interaction. When these routines change significantly, the surviving animal may respond by becoming more attentive, remaining nearby or displaying unusual behaviour.

Dogs have also been studied in relation to their responses to the death of another dog. A study published in Scientific Reports in 2022 investigated behavioural changes in dogs following the death of a companion animal. The researchers collected information from owners about changes in behaviour, including altered sleeping patterns, reduced activity, changes in appetite and increased attention-seeking.

The findings suggested that some dogs display behavioural changes following the loss of another dog in the household. The strength of these responses appeared to be associated with the nature of their previous relationship.

This research is relevant because it demonstrates that the death of a companion can have consequences for surviving animals. However, it does not establish that dogs can predict death beforehand.

Cats have received considerably less scientific attention in this particular area. Their responses to illness and death may involve changes in proximity, social interaction or avoidance, but there is insufficient evidence to conclude that they possess a specific ability to recognise impending death.

The important distinction is that animals can notice changes in their companions without necessarily understanding their cause. What appears to be an unusual awareness may be the result of familiarity, sensory perception and social attachment working together.

Why Do Some Animals Stay Close to Dying Companions?

Remaining beside a dying individual is one of the behaviours that most strongly attracts human attention. It can appear deliberate, protective and even similar to the way people behave when someone close to them is approaching death.

Such observations have been documented in several social species, particularly elephants, primates and cetaceans.

In primates, mothers have sometimes continued carrying their deceased infants for extended periods. A comparative study published in 2021 examined 409 documented cases across 50 primate species. It found that infant-carrying behaviour was more likely when death resulted from non-traumatic causes, such as illness, rather than traumatic events.

One possible explanation is that the absence of sudden or visible signs of death makes it more difficult for the mother to recognise that the infant is no longer alive. The mother may continue responding to familiar physical and social signals, gradually adjusting her behaviour as the differences become more apparent.

Similar observations have been recorded among dolphins and whales. Some mothers have continued carrying deceased calves near the water's surface, sometimes for considerable periods. These behaviours may involve maternal attachment and a gradual response to the loss of an offspring.

Remaining close to a dying companion, therefore, does not necessarily mean that an animal knows death is approaching. It may instead reflect the importance of an established social relationship and the difficulty of responding to a sudden change in another individual's condition.

Can Animals Recognise the Smell of Death?

The ability to detect illness through scent is only one part of the scientific explanation. Researchers have also investigated how animals respond to the chemical changes that occur after death.

As biological tissues begin to decompose, they release substances associated with the breakdown of organic material. Among these are putrescine and cadaverine, chemical compounds that have been studied for their role in animal responses to deceased individuals.

A 2018 review in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B examined how different species use chemical signals to identify dead members of their own or other species.

Insects provide particularly clear examples. Some ant species respond to chemical substances associated with decomposition by removing deceased members of their colonies. In certain cases, however, the signal is not simply the appearance of a new chemical. The disappearance of substances normally present on the body of a living ant can also trigger corpse-removal behaviour.

Vertebrates may respond differently. Certain fish and other animals avoid areas containing the remains of deceased individuals, potentially because the associated chemical signals indicate a risk of infection or danger.

These reactions are not necessarily evidence of an understanding of death. They can be adaptive responses that help animals avoid disease, identify threats or maintain the safety of their social groups.

Nevertheless, they demonstrate that death produces sensory information that other animals are capable of detecting.

Is It Instinct, Awareness or Something More?

The greatest difficulty in understanding animal responses to dying individuals is determining what those behaviours actually mean.

An animal that stays beside a dying companion may be responding to attachment, changes in scent, unfamiliar movements or the absence of normal social interaction. These explanations are not mutually exclusive.

Scientists distinguish between recognising that an individual is no longer functioning normally and understanding the permanence of death. An animal may identify that a companion is unresponsive without understanding that the condition cannot be reversed.

The distinction is important because human observers often interpret animal behaviour through their own emotional experiences. A dog that refuses to leave an ill companion may appear to understand that death is approaching, but the behaviour alone cannot establish this.

There is also considerable variation between species and individuals. Animals with complex social structures may have more opportunities to learn about illness, injury and death through repeated encounters. Their previous experiences, relationships and sensory abilities can all influence how they respond.

At present, there is no scientific consensus that animals can predict the exact moment of another individual's death. What research increasingly supports is that many species are capable of detecting significant changes in other animals and responding to the physical and social consequences of those changes.

What This Reveals About the Animal Experience of Loss

The ability to recognise changes in a companion's condition has implications beyond scientific curiosity. It encourages a more careful understanding of the relationships animals establish with one another and the ways they respond when those relationships are disrupted.

A surviving pet may become quieter, less active, more dependent on its owner or unusually attentive to familiar places and routines following the death of another animal. These changes should not automatically be interpreted as grief, but they may indicate that the animal is responding to a significant alteration in its social environment.

For owners, recognising these changes can be important. Maintaining familiar routines, providing attention and monitoring the surviving animal's health may help it adjust to the absence of its companion. Persistent changes in appetite, behaviour or activity should also be discussed with a veterinarian rather than attributed exclusively to emotional distress.

Understanding animal responses to death does not require assuming that every species experiences mortality in the same way humans do. It requires recognising that animals gather information through senses and social behaviours that may differ considerably from our own.

A Different Understanding of the Final Moments

Science has not yet established whether animals truly know when another individual is about to die. However, research has shown that they can detect changes associated with illness, respond to unfamiliar physical conditions and react in complex ways to dying and deceased companions.

Their extraordinary sense of smell, sensitivity to movement and awareness of social relationships offer possible explanations for behaviours that have long appeared mysterious to human observers.

Perhaps the most important distinction is that recognising death does not necessarily require understanding it in the same way humans do. An animal may not comprehend the permanence of mortality, yet still notice that a familiar companion is changing, respond to its vulnerability and react when its presence is gone.

These observations remind us that the experience of illness, separation and loss is not exclusively human. Although the precise nature of animal awareness remains an open scientific question, the evidence suggests that their responses to the final stages of life deserve more attention than they have traditionally received.