Animal Behaviors That Seem Strangely Religious

Elephants wave branches at the moon: Elephants display remarkable behaviors that resemble death rites, such as circling around their dead, touching them, and covering them with branches, while also revisiting or avoiding old death sites. Historical accounts add to their mystique, describing rituals like sprinkling water for purification or lifting branches toward the moon, which evoke a sense of reverence. While some behaviors may have practical roots, they inspire awe, blurring the line between instinct and what we perceive as religious.