h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Apart from humans committing suicide is there any evidence to suggest that animals commit suicide?

An intersting question. When humans do it is a deliberate act to end their life. There are some birds that act injured to draw a predator away from their young and today I saw a Magpie swoop down at a cat to drive it away and I suppose that birds in those situations could be killed defending young but that would be accidental death.
I don't know if there are animals that deliberately die to protect their young or commit suicide if in great pain. Humans of course do kill themselves to escape pain and maybe have even done it to protect their young but is suicide a particulary human act?
The problem is we can't ask animals for what motivates them.......

You'd have to ask first whether animals can understand the concept of death.

Elephants are the only animals besides humans that are actually afraid of the skeletons of their own species. So maybe they do.

I read somewhere about a swan that hanged itself from a tree branch after its mate died.

I could understand grief stricken animals acting more recklasly than usual. If this led to death i would be close to suicide, but come to think of it would also be considered accidental death

Lemmings run off cliffs, im not sure its on purpose tho

Lemmings don't commit suicide, by jumping off cliffs or by any other method.

I did once see a wildlife programme where a herd of elephants was migrating during the dry season. One baby elephant was dying, probably of dehydration. It's mother could have left it and went on with the rest of the herd, but she didn't. She stayed with her baby until it was dead, and possibly afterwards. Her actions possibly resulted in her own death. Whether that counts as suicide is another matter.

A bird once flew into my window, i suspect it was attempted suicide

Having worked for quite a while now with adult mental health patients, i wouls say most animals are not so full of their own self-importance to commit suicide.

That is a bit harsh, I would have thought that someone who wanted to commite suicide would be more likely to have a very low level of self impotance and worth.

Opps, I meant a very low level of self importance of course!

well, it depends. from what i see around me, most people who take an overdose or otherwise try and kill themselves, do it as a "Cry for help". Others just make damn sure that they get the job done, but they are very few and far between. They are also usually very ill.
As for the criers for help crowd, it seems they are motivated by drawing attention to themselves, and actually don't want to die at all, but live differently, according to their own rules.

I've heard a story about 2 wolves that were life-long mates and died together after being captured... or is this an urban legend?

I don't see those who do it as a cry for help are simply wanting to live how they want. They might be in great pain and simply don't know how to get out of it or are afraid to ask for help, depression can be very difficult to admit to partly it is the stigma but it is also showing you can't cope. It looks like a failiure. Please feel free to read "Depression" writen by me in my personal space. You have no idea how difficult it was for me to write that article and admit to having depression.

I know depression, been there, done that. I'm just saying attempted suicide seems to be a means to an end and that irritates me. Quite a lot.
I work for a mental Health trust, I know how unhelpful and dismissive people can be towards our patients, i also see lots and lots of people playing the system, when patients with valid needs don't get seen due to overload.

If suicide is related to self esteem and self worth then surely it would be possible for animals to commit suicide, at least those animals that are self aware. We as humans may be more succeptable to the pressures of the world >> stress and depression >> suicide. But thats not to rule out other animals too.

Certainly animals can become depressed, we have all seen films of big cats in small cages in zoos in old films as they endlessly walk up and down or shake head from side to side in distress. Whether an animal would kill itself deliberately is another matter as hard to tell as can't ask them!

It would be harder for animals to commit suicide even if they wanted to aswell, Most animals in captivity would be physically incapable of committing suicide. Short of hurling themselves off a cliff they really dont have too many options