Why do some chimpanzee mothers carry their dead infants for months?

By Thomas A. Püschel, Associate professor, University of Oxford
Reece Hammond, DPhil Student in Anthropology, University of Oxford

In 2003, in the deep forests of Bossou in Guinea, a chimpanzee mother did something that reshaped how we view animal minds. Jire carried the the lifeless body of her one-year-old infant Jimato for some 68 days. Even as the infant mummified before her, she gently swatted flies away, carefully placed it on branches while she ate, and cradled it as she moved through the canopy and forest ground.

Carrying a deceased infant is an extraordinary physical commitment. Imagine trying to go about your everyday life, navigating difficult terrain, securing food, and keeping up with your family in…

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