Photographer Phil Moore has proved that animals are capable of feeling complex emotions just like humans do. Specifically, Moore captured one animal experiencing grief over a lost loved one.
This mountain gorilla had just had it's mother killed by poachers and was mourning her loss. One of the park rangers decided that he would try to comfort the sad animal. Patrick Karabaranga shows the animal compassion and sat with it while it mourned it's mother.
This photo was taken in 2012 at the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It shows that gorilla's are capable of feeling the loss and accepting compassion from others, even when it's a different species.
It's heartbreaking to see just how much these animals can feel. A lot of people think that they don't really know what's going on but it's pretty clear that they do. Mountain gorillas have become critically endangered due to deforestation and poachers.
Conservation efforts are in place but there is still a lot more to be done. If you would like to learn more, you can check out their website that is hoping to protect Africa's oldest park.
Share with anyone who loves animals!