I have seen my guinea pigs mourn, and even become severely depressed after the death of their cagemates so I have no problem believing that humans can’t be the only species that feel attachment and compassion.
The following is a series of photos by a photographer chronicling the sad love story of a couple of barn swallows. It is said that people all over the world have cried after seeing these pictures, and that the French newspaper that originally ran the photos sold out on the day it first published the story.
A female swallow became fatally injured after being hit by a car.
Her mate brought her food and attended to her needs with love and compassion.
He left to bring her more food, but returned to find that she had died.
He tried to move her, an effort rarely seen with birds.
He realizes what must have happened and cries in distress…
He continues to stand by her body, mourning and crying over the loss.
He finally accepts her fate. But he continues to stand by her with sadness, pain, and confusion.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of the famous YouTube video of the dog that rescues another dog from a highway in Chile. I remember shedding quite a few tears after first seeing this video, and wondering how many humans would do this for a fellow human being.
Via Rocking Facts.
