Mourning amongst goats

Matt Huggins says close bonding in goats does mean that companions are missed

- Matt Huggins

Thanks to their fantastic brains, goats are able to form meaningful, lifelong bonds with their peers. These relationships are fantastically beneficial to them in a number of ways, and are always a privilege to witness. Yet such close bonding does eventually come at a cost. Anthropomorphism is often regarded as an ugly word and very much discouraged, but in this case, I can think of no other way to say it; goats often mourn for their lost companions.

THE IMPACT

When a goat dies and leaves a partner behind, we regularly see an emotional reaction from the remaining individual. Perhaps not tears as we might see in humans, but certainly a long-term response that one would describe as sadness or even depression. This can present itself in a manner of ways, be that social isolation, loss of appetite, lethargy etc. These more extreme situations are almost always seen between the goats with the deepest bonds, who may have spent most of their lives together.

HEALING A BROKEN HEART