By Josie January 11th, 2024
It’s impossible to deny how similar their ritual is to a human funeral.
A robotic monkey has been placed in a troop of langur monkeys and they’re all taking a keen interest.
One monkey, supposedly a mother, picks it up, believing it needs babysitting.
In doing so, she drops it to the ground and when finding it lifeless (because it’s a robot) on the floor she thinks the ‘baby’ has passed away.
What ensues is incredibly touching. The whole troop of monkeys gather around to grieve the dead robotic monkey, thinking it’s one of their own.
Langur monkeys display a surprisingly human-like response to death, characterized by behaviors akin to mourning and grief.
When faced with the loss of a troop member, particularly an infant, langurs often gather, touch, and groom the deceased, exhibiting a somber demeanor.
As seen by the ‘funeral’ they held for the deceased robotic monkey, Langur monkeys have remarkable emotional intelligence.
Their response to the robotic monkey in the video is not just a reflex but a complex emotional reaction, indicating an awareness of loss and communal support.
Such behaviors hint at cognitive abilities that include empathy and understanding of mortality.