The story of Oscar, the “Death Cat”, is making the rounds these days. From articles in Discover and the New England Journal of Medicine, to an episode of House to a recent posting on this Danish death-related blog, AND a newly published book, this cat gets around—but only if you’re about to die!
Oscar is a [...]
Sweden woman’s ‘murder’ committed by elk not husband
BBC News (November 28, 2009)
So yeah. There are a number of more important articles that I SHOULD be posting to Death Ref right now, but I couldn’t resist this one. Especially since Swedish officials are saying that Elk can become aggressive after eating fermented apples.
I like to [...]
The Story Behind Our Photo of Grieving Chimps
Jeremy Berlin, National Geographic Blog Central (October 29, 2009)
Fast on the heels of debatably mourning magpies, I offer you the somewhat more definitive (pics and it happened!) chimpanzee funeral, where huddled, sad chimps appear to pay their last respects to their dead companion Dorothy.
Of course the “funeral” [...]
Magpies Hold Funerals for Fallen Feathered Friends
Lester Haines, The Register (October 21, 2009)
Animal Emotions, Wild Justice and Why They Matter: Grieving Magpies, a Pissy Baboon, and Empathic Elephants (paid access only)
Marc Berkoff, Emotion, Space and Society (August 27, 2009; doi:10.1016/j.emospa.2009.08.001)
Reporting on an unfortunately toll-access article from the journal Emotion, Space and Society, Lester Haines [...]
I Don’t Wanna Be Buried in a Pet Sematary — The Ramones
People are crazy about their pets. Diamond tiaras, cat condos, doggie daycares serving gourmet kibble, anti-depressants and acupuncture for the unstable pet in your life — all this and more is available for Mr. Wiggles or Li’l Boots. After all, they’re not simply a [...]