Elephants in India have been seen burying their dead calves in graveyards in a remarkable display of human-like behaviour, a new study has found.
Similar behaviour had been documented before in African elephants, but not their Indian relatives.
The researchers said the five burials they had documented took place inside tea plantations, usually in pre-dug trenches.
The calves – none of whom had died from human interference – were buried on their backs, and covered in earth.
The odd positioning (to human eyes) may indicate that the adult elephants allowed others to help bury the calf.
“The ‘strange’ positioning of the carcass could be explained for better grip for the herd member(s) to hold and lay the calf in the trench,” the authors wrote.
The authors also suggested the elephants wished to bury the calf’s head as a priority.
In some cases, the bodies of the calves were carried for long periods of time – including up to two days in one case – before they reached the burial place.
Ultra-rare walking fish hatches eggs crucial in fight against extinction
Adult elephants were often heard trumpeting and calling after the burial for up to 30 or 40 minutes, believed to be a sign of anger or grief.
Anecdotal evidence, including interviews with local workers, suggested that post-burial the herd would then avoid the area, even altering their usual travel routes to ensure they would not pass by the grave again.
