Yes, Penguins DO Grieve. Here’s Proof.

Penguins are highly intelligent and emotional animals. They’re able to recognize one another and even their partners. Some penguins are even known for bonding with human caretakers. So, does that mean penguins can also feel human emotions, like grief? Let’s find out.

Are Penguins Capable of Mourning?

Unfortunately, penguins understand grief all too well. In 2014, BBC recorded a mother emperor penguin visibly grieving the loss of her chick. In the video, the mother tries to warm her baby, all the while grieving audibly. After a few moments, another female penguin waddles over and comforts the mother. We consider grief to be exclusive to humans, but many animals experience it. The fairy penguins in this video are also mourning, but differently than BBC’s emperor penguin.

Researchers studying penguins found they grieve in several ways:

• Searches: Penguins will look for missing children and partners.
• Singing: Penguins will sing to commemorate their dead.
• Comforting: Consoling other penguins, as seen in this Instagram post.

Scientifically speaking, birds share some brain functions with humans. The part of the brain that processes grief has the same neurotransmitters. Birds also share some of the same hormones, which lead to feelings of loss. Penguins mourn colony members like humans mourn a friend or family member.

According to Audubon, some penguins can also be confused by loss. Confusion is evident when colonies gather around a deceased pack member. They won’t necessarily mourn but struggle to process why the penguin is not moving. Researchers argue that penguins will do typical things that look like grief from the outside. The emperor penguin trying to warm her baby and vocalizing to wake it up could be an example of this.

However, Penguins Do Comfort One Another

The Instagram post above, taken by Tobias Baumgaertner of Melbourne, Australia, won Oceanographic’s Ocean Photography Award. It’s become proof that penguins do comfort other grieving colony members. Baumgaertner spent three nights with the penguins before photographing this moment. He recalls that both penguins were widowed and often met to do exactly what the photo implies.

The penguins in this photo used their flippers to comfort one another. In the BBC video, a penguin tucks another’s head under its chin. Other times, a penguin might comfort another by grooming. Penguins commonly use physical touch and vocalization to express emotions. However, knowing the facts behind a penguin’s connection with others is important to avoid anthropomorphization.

Do Penguins Really Mate For Life?

It’s a myth that all penguins mate for life. Each species is different and has different mating styles. macaroni, Magellanic, Gentoo, and little blue penguins do mate for life. Other species, like the emperor penguin, are serial monogamists and take a single partner for one year. No matter their mating styles, all penguins excel in co-parenting.

Most penguins will take turns warming eggs, foraging, and protecting their chicks. The innate sense of familial bonds makes for strong penguin couples. Each penguin species has its own way of grieving the loss of a partner. For the fairy penguins above, it was physical comfort. For Sydney Aquarium Gentoo penguins Sphen and Magic, it was singing. When Sphen lost his partner, Magic, he started singing. The entire colony of gentoo penguins joined him, mourning their shared loss.