Sadness in Wolves

"Many people might believe that wolves shed actual tears when in grief or pain, but this is not quite so. Though animals do have tear ducts and tears, it's more to keep their eyes clean, moist, and clear, rather than to show an emotion, as humans do. While some animals do actually shed tears, wolves are not among them. A wolf mostly shows their sadness by-- surprise, surprise-- body language. Their whole body posture droops, their tail is lowered and their ears may be set back or to the side in an uneasy/uncertain manner. By drooping, it is not like submission. Wolves can quite tell the difference between a frightened/submissive wolf and a grieving one. Of course, this does not mean that in this state of woe, a wolf will not take the oppotunity to overpower this wolf in its' possible state of weakness. A saddened wolf may also disassociate themselves with their pack for a while or sleep much more often. They can seem depressed or whine and pant with anxiety, and perhaps even howl mournfully for days at a time.

Obviously, animals often grieve when they have lost someone close to them, whether it be a memebr of their pack, their partner, their offspring, etc. Some animals bury their dead while others actually might eat them (Lion mothers will often eat their deceased cubs). Wolves tend to bury their dead in very shallow graves or simply scrape earth over them and howl in mourning. Since wolves hold very close bonds with each other, they may mourn for weeks and may return to the site of the body."