Foto Ginger Me
Rozpaky je těžké pozorovat. Podle definice je to pocit, který se člověk snaží skrýt. Světově proslulá primatoložka Jane Goodallová se ale domnívá, že u šimpanzů pozorovala to, co by se dalo nazvat trapností.
Fifi byla šimpanzí samice, kterou Jane znala více než 40 let. Když bylo Fifiinu nejstaršímu dítěti Freudovi pět a půl roku, jeho strýc, Fifiin bratr Figan, byl alfa samcem jejich šimpanzí komunity. Freud vždy následoval Figana, jako by uctíval velkého samce.
Jednou, když Fifi upravovala Figana, Freud vyšplhal po tenkém stonku divokého jitrocele. Když dosáhl listnaté koruny, začal se divoce kývat sem a tam. Kdyby to bylo lidské dítě, řekli bychom, že se předvádí. Náhle se stonka zlomila a Freud se zřítil do vysoké trávy. Nebyl zraněný. Přistál blízko Jane, a když se jeho hlava vynořila z trávy, viděla, jak se dívá na Figana. Všiml si toho? Pokud ano, nevěnoval tomu pozornost, ale pokračoval v úpravě. Freud velmi tiše vylezl na další strom a začal se krmit.
Psycholog z Harvardské univerzity Marc Hauser pozoroval u samce opice rhesus to, co by se dalo nazvat trapností. Po spáření se samicí samec odkráčel a nešťastnou náhodou spadl do příkopu. Vstal a rychle se rozhlédl. Poté, co vycítil, že ho žádná jiná opice neviděla padat, odpochodoval, záda vysoko, hlavu a ocas nahoře, jako by se nic nestalo.
Záchrana zvířat: Pocit soucitu s těmi, kteří to potřebují
Příběhů o zvířatech, která zachraňují příslušníky svého vlastního i jiného druhu, včetně lidí, je mnoho. Ukazují, jak jedinci různých druhů projevují soucit a empatii k těm, kteří to potřebují.
V australském Torquay poté, co klokaní matku srazilo auto, pes objevil mládě Joey v jejím vaku a odnesl ho svému majiteli, který se o mládě staral. Desetiletý pes a čtyřměsíční joey se nakonec stali nejlepšími přáteli.
Foto od Flickker Photos
Na pláži na Novém Zélandu přišel delfín na záchranu dvou vorvaňů trpasličích uvízlých za písečným barem. Poté, co se lidé marně snažili dostat velryby do hlubších vod, objevil se delfín a obě velryby ho následovaly zpět do oceánu.
Psi jsou také známí tím, že pomáhají potřebným. Ztracený pitbull mutt rozbil pokus o přepadení ženy opouštějící hřiště se svým synem v Port Charlotte na Floridě. Policista pro kontrolu zvířat řekl, že bylo jasné, že se pes snažil bránit ženu, kterou neznal. A mimo Buenos Aires v Argentině pes zachránil opuštěné dítě tím, že ho bezpečně umístil mezi její vlastní novorozená štěňata. Překvapivě pes odnesl dítě asi 150 stop na místo, kde ležela její štěňata poté, co objevil dítě zakryté hadrem na poli.
Havraní spravedlnost?
Biolog a odborník na havrany Bernd Heinrich ve své knize Mind of the Raven poznamenal, že havrani si pamatují jedince, který soustavně přepadá jejich skrýše, pokud ho přistihnou při činu. Někdy se havran připojí k útoku na vetřelce, i když neviděl přepadenou skrýš.
Je to morální? Zdá se, že Heinrich si myslí, že ano. O tomto chování říká: "Byl to mravní havran hledající lidský ekvivalent spravedlnosti, protože hájil zájmy skupiny za potenciální cenu pro ni."
V následujících experimentech Heinrich potvrdil, že skupinové zájmy mohou řídit to, co se jednotlivý havran rozhodne udělat. Havrani a mnoho dalších zvířat žije podle společenských norem, které upřednostňují spravedlnost a spravedlnost.
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We who 'know' always knew the animal kindom were far more aware than the controlling factions wanted us to believe....we felt their suffering, we shared their love, we understood their unspoken language. God truly exists in all living things. Very nice article - thanks for sharing!
When I was 12 years old, my horse had a stroke and had to be put down. I looked out the window at his body, lifeless and lying in the corral. I watched as Socks, the matriarch of the barn cats, walked towards the body, followed by a single-file line of the other dozen-or-so kittens and cats. Watching from inside the house I thought, "Oh no, they're going to eat him." But I didn't interrupt. When the slow parade reached the body, the cats sat down about two feet away, in an arc, smelling and looking. After some time Socks stood up, turned around and walked back to the barn, followed in orderly procession by the others.
Even 30 years later I am touched by this memory.
This horse (Bourbon Jim was his name) had been a huge high-strung Thoroughbred, but he was gentle and considerate with the cats. Once when I came home from school I found three kittens on his back. I couldn't figure how they got up there. This kept happening until one day I saw: The little kittens, with their sharp little kitten claws, were climbing up his front legs and up over his sides to sit atop his back. Bourbon didn't even flinch.
[Hide Full Comment]Thank you for dispelling the myth we have all been told. Everything we do influences every living being. It is time we all kept ourselves conscious of this. Thank you so much!
About the same time we adopted the silver-grey kitten, Griffin, we also adopted a white rabbit, Angel. They were kit and kitten together and played all summer in the back yard. Angel was a house-rabbit. In the fall, I bunny-proofed my office for him, and put a baby-gate at the door, so he couldn't get to the rest of the house. Since I don't like the cold, Angel didn't get to go out much, but Griffin continued to play with him inside.
In the early spring, Griffin once showed up at the back door with a huge pile of leaves in his mouth, bigger than his head. He zipped right by me and took off down the hall toward my office. Griffin jumped over the gate and ran to the bunny. I was freaking out, thinking he had a mouse in his mouth along with all those leaves. But no, he just dumped the leaves on the floor in front of Angel. No mouse, thankfully. Then Griffin waited for Angel to react. I think the bunny was as confused as me. So Griffin rolled in the leaves, with his belly in the air. I could almost hear him saying: "Since you couldn’t come outside with me, I brought spring in to you." And Angel jumped in the leaves with him.
[Hide Full Comment]How lovely. Animals are the best of teachers. They live lovingly and ask so little in return. Surely there are animals in heaven. Would it be heaven if there were no animals? Perhaps all beings who are loved, animal and human with join after this life on planet earth is complete for for a magnificent heavenly reunion, and we will continue our work and play in the presence of the great I AM.
Yes Animals are intelligent and have emotional lives but that does not mean I have to love all dogs or all other animals. Some of them are simply unlovable, just like some humans. The pitbulls who killed the six year old boy coming back from school in switzerland were certainly not lovable.
It is only the arrogant among us who claim a special status for our own, based on such superficial considerations as ethnicity, culture, color of skin, gender or having a human body.
The compassionate have always known that we are all children of the same source. We are unique and different in many ways but that does not make us superior than others.
We need no scientific research to tell us this fundamental truth.
AN EXCELLENT AND VERY KNOWLEDGABLE ARTICLE WHICH HAS INDEED CHANGED THE WAY OF THINKING ABOUT ANIMALS
EDWARD
DELHI (INDIA)
I always said animals are way better then humans! Loyality, unconditional love and they never intentionally break our hearts. God sent them here so would we know good.
where are the citations/references for the scientific research?
Yes, I agree with the comment of Womanswork below: as someone who spends the majority of their time with eight companion animals, including a parrot, I can attest to the fact that they exhibit feelings of joy, sadness, insecurity, jealousy and envy, among a range of other emotions. And the best thing is, they don't hide these feelings; they're writ large for all to see, if in fact one is willing to see...it's so much better than the emotional dissembling of humans.
Oh my, if only animals could use "words" and tell us more ......perhaps then we would listen....we dont seem to hear their needs at all by their body language etc....How "dumb" are we humans really, when we dont treat our fellow creatures with more respect , love and appreciation,
I have watched my grandsons dalmation watch my grandsons shadow to see "where" he is going to throw the ball that he is hiding behind his back....I tested him 3 times couldnt believe his intelligence , how pathetic of me!!!!!!
How DO we get people to understand this about animals? I do not know. thank you for sharing all this wonderful information.....
Finally, Science is catching up to what I and many others have known forever! To think animals don't feel or think is the height of elitism
When I take my morning walks and observe nature I often think we are at the bottom of the chain. I am in awe of trees. The are so present they no longer need to move. They feed themselves from above and below and in the fall the leaves they shed create more nutrients for themselves and others.