Can animals experience rape?

Question

I'm not asking this question to be sick

and no i don't mean a human raping an animal

I mean can an animal be raped by another of its own species?

Do they register what rape is?

Sorry if this offends

Answer 1

Yes, they sure can.

Answer 2

it happens all the time. Especially with the younger females of species that move in herds.

Answer 3

Animals wouldn't understand the concept.  But it is possible, I think, for an animal to mate with an unwilling partner.  I recall large bull elephant seal that was known to have killed at least 2 or 3 females trying to mate with them.

It's not exactly rape as we know it though.  I am pretty sure this animal did not mean any harm to these females, but acted on instinct only.  I imagine that any females who escaped from his attempts, would avoid him in future, and would regard it as having escaped from a threat to their lives, but not as a sexual trauma as experienced by humans.  They would go ahead with other males.

Of course, there are thousands of species experiencing some kind of consciousness, and I don't know about all of them.

Answer 4

Not /rape/ since it is a human invention, so not that word, per say, but the idea is very similar.

"Rape is a form of assault where one individual forces another to have sexual intercourse against that person’s will. It may be defined as forcing a person to submit to any s*x act, and is generally considered one of the most serious s*x crimes, as well as sometimes very difficult to prosecute." ...

Note it talks of /persons/ in the description, not meantioning animals, and also prosecution, which is another human invention- animals that 'rape' would not suffer any punishment as humans do.

HOWEVER, animals can be raped and rape in the idea that the partners aren't always willing, but animals do only have s*x as part of an instinct, to make babies and not for pleasure, and for release, not for enjoyment, so a lot of female animals will get raped, it's not unusual.  

Answer 5

i guess so :(

Answer 6

i dunno if this is considered rape, but its about the closest thing i know of

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHUm6cgLb...

Answer 7

I think the only animals besides human, are other primates.

Answer 8

I believe so. For example, in a pack of wolves, the pack leader may rape the females.

Answer 9

Yes they can.

Animals that live in groups often solicit others.  It occurs more often with the males that are higher up on the hierarchy and the subordinate females.  For the males, multiple mating means that there is a greater chance their genes will be passed on to the next generation. If multiple females get pregnant with one males sperm then there will be more offspring that have his genes.  As weak males do not get a chance to be with the most 'fit' females, weak or subordinate females have little or no chance to breed with stronger males unless the males rape them.