Animal Suicide

[flano]

Do animals commit suicide?

[cre]

Apparently lemmings throw themselves off a cliff.

[cre]

http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s1081903.htm

You got me thinking, so I looked it up - you might find this interesting.

[Tefler]

Suicide is the deliberate taking of one's own life, fully aware of the fact that the result is death. No animal is capable of awareness of concepts such as 'life' and 'death', so there is no possibility that they can commit suicide.

[Artful]

Commit suicide as such, maybe not but I think like people they can 'give up' and just let themselves fade away. I am not talking about wild animals as I have no idea; I am referring to domestic animals or pets. What does everyone else think?

[ramasus]

You could say that any spider that get's into my sink has the intention of commiting suicide.  And on that note, slugs that go near my lettuce!  Are they putting themselves into the postion for probable death, therefore commiting suicide???

Try asking the flys on my windscreen!

[brionon]

That Lemming thing was all a Disney trick, I've heard.

[brachiopod]

Lemmings do NOT commit suicide - see this learned site.

[Aschenbach]

Animals cannot commit suicide (a crime) just as they can't commit assault or murder. They are not subject to the law.

I don't think they deliberately kill themselves either.

[repperaf]

If a whale beaches itself because of an illness isn't it commiting suicide? It knows it will not live on land and can not possibly think if it comes to shore we will help it. It it trying to die.