Cows don't cry over spilled (or is it 'spilt'?) milk, but people do...

Well, actually, animals can cry, but not in the same way that humans do. Animals produce tears to lubricate their eyes.

If you see tears in an animal's eyes, it could be a sign of an infection or scratched cornea. Some animals cry without tears to signal their mother. 

Young deer secrete a substance from a gland under their eye when they are stressed or hungry. Some animal behaviorists think that crying might be a hardwired response to stress or lack of contact. A 2022 study found that dogs produce more tears when reunited with their owners than when reunited with other familiar humans. 

Some anecdotes suggest that other animals, like elephants, gorillas, and wolves, have wept in sadness. However, scientific evidence does not support these stories. Some say that interpreting an animal's behavior as an emotional signal is a form of anthropomorphization. In nature, it's often to an animal's advantage to mask its emotions.

 

And you say reading this blog is a waste of time...