Ravens Provide Moral Support for Each Other

For many years, biologists have believed that humans were the only species to show compassion and the ability to console others. Over time, however, additional in-depth studies of the animal kingdom have revealed that this was not the case. Primates such as chimpanzees and bonobos, as well as whales and dolphins, are perfectly capable of caring for each other, and taking care of one another after something bad happens. But now, the same thing was found to be true in ravens as well. Scientists noticed in a new study that, after confrontations took place in a group, members tended to flock to the bird that was defeated, as if to console it, Wired reports.

The investigation relied on two years of observations, conducted on 13 hand-reared ravens. Over the study period, researchers Orlaith Fraser, a professor at the University of Vienna Department of Neurobiology and Cognition, and UV teaching fellow Thomas Bugnyar, observed some 152 fights between these creatures. The research took place at the Konrad Lorenz Research Station in Austria. The facility is named after Nobel Prize winner Konrad Zacharias Lorenz (1903-1989), who is widely considered to be one of the founders of modern ethology. His most important works took place in the field of explaining instinctive behaviors found in animals.

Using the 13 ravens, the research team was able to find what they believe to be the first accurate, scientific evidence that birds console each other. “It’s not a good thing for your partner to be distressed. It’s interesting to see these behaviors in animals other than chimpanzees. It seems to be more ingrained in evolutionary history. Maybe if you are involved in a fight they might come and console you,” says Fraser. The experts also note that mostly the birds with whom the victim had spent a lot of time before the battle (its closest friends, if you will) came to console it after suffering a defeat.

“The findings of this study represent an important step towards understanding how ravens manage their social relationships and balance the costs of group-living. Furthermore, they suggest that ravens may be responsive to the emotional needs of others,” the team reveals. More details of their investigation appear in the May 12 issue of the open-access scientific journal PLoS ONE. The researchers add that “friends” of the victim appeared more equipped to figure out when their comrade was in need of emotional support. They responded immediately, by flying to their friends' location, and spending more time with them.