Elephants have long been observed showing unusual behavior after another elephant’s death. A recent case in Namibia provides new evidence of how they respond to loss, the BBC reported.
In September 2025, wildlife photographer Federico Veronesi saw a female elephant carrying a stillborn calf through the Namib Desert. The animal carried the body for several hours, putting it down only to eat or drink before picking it up again.
Interestingly, the calf wasn’t even hers. The female elephant had lost her own calf two years earlier. Since then, she has been seen carrying the stillborn calves of other elephants on four occasions. It’s unclear why she does this. One theory suggests she may be trying to deal with her own loss.
Elephants are known to react strongly to death. They may stay near dead companions for a long time, touch their bodies or bones and even return to their remains later. Researchers believe this behavior suggests elephants can form deep emotional connections and experience grief and distress.
Veronesi won the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for his series on desert elephants. Commenting on the pictures he took and the scene he witnessed, the photographer said people needed to see such a sad scene.
«This photo makes it clear how much these elephants suffer, how they have complex feelings, which people perhaps don’t associate with animals,» he said.
Unfortunately, the population of desert elephants in Namibia is gradually declining, with only about 150 elephants still living along riverbeds in the Namib Desert.
The main reasons for the decline are drought and conflict with humans. Elephants searching for water sometimes damage tanks, pipes and pumps on farms, which can lead to conflict with local communities.
Lack of water and forage, along with stress from ongoing conflict with people, may contribute to high calf mortality. Between 2014 and 2022, only two of 16 calves survived, according to conservation group Elephant Human Relations Aid. Some stillborn calves are much smaller than healthy newborns.
Scientists are now studying the elephants’ hormones, genetics, and pollutant exposure to better understand why so many calves die and what they can do to protect the remaining population.