An article in Psychology Today regarding human touch states: "Physical contact distinguishes humans from other animals." I definitely disagree with this statement. Anyone who has seen pictures or video of animals know that touch is important to most animals.
Pictures often depict elephants wrapping their trunks together, nuzzling each other's necks and leaning on each other. When my husband and I are having a busy day, my dog will often look sad and dejected that she has not gotten enough physical contact (my interpretation, of course).
Squirrels, touch each other's necks and entwine their tails. Dogs touch noses and, my dog regularly "noses" me when I pass her - especially when going in and out of doors. Bears roll on the ground and embrace each other. Even snails engage in touch by caressing it's partner's antennae.
This view of animals as not having feelings, emotions and the ability to connect with each other has been detrimental to the animal community as shown in the allowance of trophy hunting of large animals.
In humans and animals, the need for touch and connection can be a matter of life or death. People volunteer to provide touch to newborns in the intensive care. This volunteer touch greatly improves outcomes for these infants.
I once saw a movie on PBS about an orphaned elephant in the 1950s, or so, who was cared for by a woman. The woman left the elephant under the care of others for a week while she attended her daughter's wedding. The baby elephant died of heart break while she was gone.
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