Are there cases of suicide among animals?

In the Animal World
BB.LV
Publiation data: 16.02.2026 10:03
Are there cases of suicide among animals?

Most likely, no.

 

Cases of suicide among widowed swans and scorpions caught in a ring of fire are merely a myth. Nevertheless, animals sometimes engage in actions that lead to their demise: whales and dolphins beach themselves, lemmings jump into the sea, ungulates fall into chasms, nocturnal insects rush towards flames, and domestic cats fall from windows.

It is impossible to determine the intentions of animals, especially after their death. However, judging by indirect signs, such actions are always an unconscious drive towards self-destruction, rather than the result of fatal mistakes—either in orientation or in assessing their capabilities.

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