Animal Emotions

Do animals think and feel?

by Marc Bekoff

Chimpanzees: I Know What You Don't

During the past few years we've learned amazing facts about the astonishing cognitive, emotional, and moral lives of other animals. And 2012 is starting off with a bang as we learn that chimpanzees know what others don't know and tell them about the presence of dangerous snakes. These field data suggest that chimpanzees have a theory of mind. Read More

Dead Cow Walking: The Case Against Born-Again Carnivorism

Cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals raised for food are sentient beings who have rich emotional lives. No matter how "humanely" they're raised, their lives can be cashed out simply as "dead cow/pig/chicken walking." Whom we choose to eat is a matter of life and death. Animals shouldn't be produced merely to become unneeded meals. Read More

Heartless Hunting: Maiming Then Killing Deer With No Remorse

The writer of a failed attempt at a poetic essay claims "I hate to kill" but nonetheless does it thoroughly irresponsibly. Clearly a poor shooter, he portrays everything that is bad about hunting, and other hunters should be angered by his heartless, dismissive, and pompous attitude with no concern for the deer he first maimed then later killed. Read More

Primate Social Behavior: Nature "Versus" Nurture Once Again?

Genes seem to play a large role in the social behavior of many nonhuman primates but not for other other species including coyotes and wolves. Much more research is needed to see just how far these new findings apply as they surely will inform future studies of animal behavior and conservation projects. Is it nature and nurture or nature or nurture? Time will tell. Read More

Mathematical Pigeons Are Amazing But Not So Surprising

Pigeons can learn abstract rules about numbers and these new and exciting data support what's long been known about the numerical competency or "counting ability" of other captive and wild birds. Clearly, calling someone a birdbrain is a compliment. Bird brains are very active and their cognitive abilities rather remarkable and highly evolved. Read More

Animals In Our Brain: Mickey Mouse, Teddy Bears, and "Cuteness"

A recent study showed that a specific part of the human brain is hard-wired to detect animals regardless of whether they're cute, ugly, or dangerous. It made me think of two old studies of the features that are associated with "cuteness", with Mickey Mouse and teddy bears as the stars. Read More

Rewilding Our Hearts: Maintaining Hope and Faith in Trying Times

In troubled times it's difficult to remain hopeful and positive. Here I offer some practical guidelines for a new positive and personal social movement that is based on rewilding our hearts. Not only will nonhuman animals and their homes benefit, but so will we as we make a major paradigm shift in how we interact with (M)other nature. Read More

Chimpanzees Win a Small Victory

More protection from invasive research has finally been granted to chimpanzees but there's lots more work to do. The current guidelines do not constitute a ban and there is still a lot of wiggle room that means that chimpanzees can still be used in horrific research that causes enduring pain, suffering, and death. Read More

Killing Bears In New Jersey Soprano Style

New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection now sanctions bear slaughter. This blood-thirsty massacre is unjustified. We must make every effort to coexist with the animals who visit our homes. We moved into their living rooms when we "redecorated nature" and they shouldn't pay with their lives for our intrusive and abusive ways. Read More

Pandering Pandas: Sweetie and Sunshine on Loan in Edinburgh

Two giant pandas have been rented to the Edinburgh Zoo for money and to make babies. Why do we continue to move and loan animals when it clearly has no benefits other than to make money that does not go back into species conservation or preservation in the wild? Read More

Empathic Rats and Ravishing Ravens

Rats and ravens caution us about proudly tooting our "aren't we special" horn. A new study shows rats display empathy-driven behavior to help other rats in distress while another has demonstrated that ravens use body language and gestures to communicate with other ravens. Best to keep an open mind about the amazing cognitive and emotional capacities of other animals. Read More

Tool Use by a Dingo and a Dog

Read about and watch Stirling, a young male dingo, use a tool, and also about Grendel, a dog, make and use a back scratcher from a bone. As time goes on more and more animals are observed making and using tools. We must never underestimate the cognitive capacities of other animals. Read More

Plans To Separate Elephant Friends of 30 Years

Shaba and Connie have been very close elephant friends for 30 years. There are now plans to separate them and to ship them and other elephants from one zoo to another as if they're mere objects. All the elephants will suffer greatly and this heartless move is thoroughly unnecessary. It's bad biology, unethical, and inhumane. Read More

Maggie, a Border Collie, Killed by Illegal Government Trap

The reprehensible killing ways of WIldlife Services should make everyone ill and mad. Not only do they wantonly, mercilessly, and inhumanely slaughter millions of animals each year, they also kill numerous non-target animals including dogs. They're incredibly arrogant and sloppy and break laws because they can. Let's stop them now. Read More

Chimpanzees in Research: Lies, Lies, and More Lies

Researchers who abuse chimpanzees act as if moratoriums and agreements don't matter, as if they're above it all. They're not and each of us can easily do something now to stop the continued abuse of chimpanzees in invasive research. Time is not on the chimpanzee's side. Read More

PTSD in War Dogs Finally Getting the Attention It Deserves

War dogs are amazing beings. They're continually put at risk as they're exposed to combat-related violence, and suffer along with their human companions afterwards. Finally, these wonderful dogs are getting the attention and treatment they fully deserve, as they should. Read More

Do Wild Animals Suffer From PTSD and Other Psychological Disorders?

Biological arguments suggest wild animals should suffer from various psychological disorders but we really don't know the extent to which this occurs. There's no evidence wild animals torment and torture one another to the extent that humans torment and torture one another and members of other species. Read More

Grief, Mourning, and Broken Hearted Animals

There's no doubt many animals grieve the loss of family and friends. Mounting evidence clearly shows we're not the only animals who possess the cognitive and emotional capacities for suffering the loss of others. I've literally felt the grief and heart break other animals suffer. It's palpable and moving. And I bet many of you have too. Read More

Fowl Fun? Liberty, Peace, and No Justice for Millions

Pardoning two of millions of doomed turkeys is simply not enough. A more meaningful humanitarian and compassionate gesture would be for the President to pardon all turkeys and encourage people to change their ways. Hiding behind the veil of ignorance, "Oh, I didn't know about the torture of turkeys", doesn't work any longer. Read More

A Dog, a Cockatoo, and Yes, Spaghetti

Just when you think you've seen it all, watch a cockatoo feed a dog. Read More

How the Dog Became the Dog

"How the dog Became the Dog" is the book to read if you're interested in the long relationship between dogs and us. Drawing on a vast amount of data, Mark Derr shows, with admirable humility, how shared sociability and curiosity drew wolves and humans together resulting in a close and enduring relationship of cooperation and mutual utility. Read More

Animals in Art: Nonhumans Benefit from Responsible Representation

Many artists are focusing their attention on other animals and we must be sure they are represented in responsible ways and also pay attention to the ethical questions that are raised. Animal art truly sparks wide-ranging discussions that center on human psychology and our complex and challenging relationships with non-humans in a human-dominated world. Read More

The Thanksgiving Day Massacre: A House of Horrors

If you knew the truth about the turkey you eat, a genetically engineered and tormented animal, you would seriously consider choosing another main course. Turkeys are highly sentient beings who suffer enduring pain, misery, and terror on the way to a platter. It's easy to make more humane choices. Please do so now and add compassion to a world that sorely needs it. Read More

Minding Animals as Persons: Beatrice, My Mother, and Jethro, My Dog

My mother Beatrice and my dog Jethro shared many traits that warrant calling a being a person. When my mother suffered serious physical and psychological decline she was still considered a person as she well should have been. Yet Jethro and other animals do not warrant that status. Nothing is lost by viewing nonhuman animals as persons. Read More

An Amazing Elephant Rescue That Will Make Your Day

Sometimes interfering in the lives of wild animals overrides the usual hands-off approach and simply is the right thing to do. Witness and savor this dramatic rescue of a mother elephant and her baby when they got trapped in mud. Read More

"What In the World Do My Essays Have To Do With Psychology?"

Knowing about nonhuman animals has everything to do with human psychology. What we think, know, feel, and believe about animals should strongly influence how we interact with them but often it doesn't. Animals are merely property in the eyes of the law and enjoy little to no legal standing. This, in and of itself, tells us lots about human psychology. Read More

Circuses: Wild Animals Do Not Belong in the Cruelest Show on Earth

Circuses do nothing for the animals themselves or for other members of their species despite claims to the contrary. Circuses make no contributions to conservation. They serve no purpose other than "entertainment" if you dare to call watching abused and terrorized animals performing stupid and unnatural tricks "entertainment". Read More

What Makes Us Uniquely Human?

Are we the only animals who mentally time travel and have a theory of mind? Some people think so but there are data that suggest we're not. Are we exceptional in some ways? Yes we are but so are other animals. Read More

Rampant Wolf Killing Makes Some People Happy

In just 2 weeks 44 wolves have been killed, or as some say "bagged," in Montana. Some people actually find the deplorable slaughter of these magnificent animals makes them happy and to be encouraging. How in the world did such shameful and sick attitudes toward sentient beings ever evolve? Would they kill their dog? I'm afraid to ask. Read More

Going "Cold Tofu" to End Factory Farming

Who we eat defines who we are in many significant ways. Our now 7 billion mouths are the center of our universe. There's no reason ever to eat animals from factory farms. Let's work together to end factory farming and reduce ecological devastation, human disease, and animal suffering, and add compassion to the world. Pick your reason and meal plan and it's easy to do. Read More