Chimpanzee mothers observed carrying dead infants for months in infant corpse carrying studies

Chimpanzee and bonobo mothers have been observed continuing to carry their infants after the offspring’s death, a phenomenon known as infant corpse carrying (ICC). The behavior has been recorded across multiple field sites and is recognized as a regular, though not universal, aspect of great‑ape maternal care. Researchers have documented the duration of carrying, the contexts in which it occurs, and variations between species, establishing ICC as a well‑described pattern in primatology.

Although numerous explanations—including grief‑like emotional responses, attachment maintenance, practice for future caregiving, and social signaling—have been proposed to account for ICC, only a limited number of studies have subjected these hypotheses to quantitative analysis. Current data highlight a gap between descriptive observations and rigorous testing, prompting calls for systematic measurement of variables such as carrying duration, infant age at death, and maternal hormonal changes to evaluate competing theories. Further empirical work is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms driving this distinctive behavior in our closest living relatives.