Horse lays his head on coffin as he mourns the loss of human friend

The coffin symbolizes the deep loss felt when a loved one passes, a pain that words cannot fully capture.

The realization that shared moments are gone forever is heartbreaking. It’s natural, then, for funerals to be filled with grief and memories.

After all, saying goodbye to someone who shaped your life is never easy.

Though it is normal to witness people mourning the death of their loved ones, seeing animals grieving over the demise of their human is a different story.

Over the years, the ability of animals to feel emotion such as joy, sadness, grief, excitement and other feelings similar with humans has been questioned.

However, new research shows that animals are equally capable of feeling emotions just like people.

The only difference is that humans can process why they are feeling certain emotions, while animals cannot.

A touching incident during a funeral in Paraiba, Brazil, has taken the incident by storm. The heart-wrenching and heartwarming viral incident is proving to the world that animals, like horses, also know what it means to lose a loved one.

Wagner Lima and his horse, Sereno, had an unbreakable bond, spending countless hours together.

But that connection was tragically cut short when Lima died in a traffic accident on his way home.

His sudden passing left his family, friends, and Sereno in deep mourning, a reflection of the love he shared with them.

Though this happened years ago, the story continues to touch hearts, highlighting the deep and lasting bond between humans and animals.

To send Lima to his final resting place, a number of his family members, friends, and loved ones gathered together for a funeral procession.

Sereno, his horse, also participated in the funeral procession because Wando, his brother, knew how much the two meant to each other.

Although Lima treated his horse as his friend, it was only during the funeral that people realized that Sereno loved and cared for Lima so much as well.

While the funeral vehicle carrying Lima’s coffin reached the gathering, Sereno seemed to know that it really was goodbye for them.

“[Sereno] began to walk around the coffin, smelling the coffin. Then he neighed,” Kyioshi Abreu, one of the funeral attendees, shared in an interview. 

“It was a very strong emotion. Everyone who was there was moved. I cried myself when I saw that scene.”

The grieving horse then stopped from his tracks and rested his head against Lima’s coffin – a sight that warmed their hearts.

“This horse was everything to him,” Wando added. “It was as if the horse knew what was happening and wanted to say goodbye. All the way to the cemetery, he would whimper and beat his paws on the ground.”

The grieving horse then joined the procession led by Wando to deliver Lima to his final resting place in the city of Cajazeiras.

Lima may be gone here on Earth, but the vibrant memories he had made will surely be cherished by his horse, Sereno. In addition, according to Wando, he would not let Sereno grieve alone.

He would take him to his family in honor of the memories he had of his late brother.

Although nothing would ever compare to the bond between Lima and Sereno, it is sure reassuring to know that Wando is ready to fill the place of his deceased brother.

Watch the touching farewell below and SHARE Lima and Sereno’s one-of-a-kind story that shows how big and beautiful an animal’s heart can be!