Do Animals Cry?

With the exception of humans, most animals don't actually cry as we know crying, i.e.; they don't shed tears. However, there is a marine mammal called the Dogong which lives in the Indian Ocean who sheds real tears when in trouble or pain.

Charles Darwin noted that some animals express emotions similar to that of humans. For example, baby monkey's will emit a crying noise for attention or if they want to be picked up. Many young mammals make crying noises when they are in distress or if they cannot find their mother.

A keeper of Indian Elephants at London Zoo once said that his elephants actually wept when they were feeling sorrow. Whether this is something that they learned or was a natural response is not sure.

Although all animals with mobile eyes have a tearing system, this is mainly to moisten their eyes but there is no scientific evidence to suggest that animals cry like humans do.

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