Autor fotografie: Ginger Me
Rozpaky je ťažké pozorovať. Podľa definície je to pocit, ktorý sa človek snaží skrývať. Svetoznáma primatologička Jane Goodallová sa však domnieva, že u šimpanzov spozorovala niečo, čo by sa dalo nazvať trápnosťou.
Fifi bola samica šimpanza, ktorú Jane poznala viac ako 40 rokov. Keď malo Fifiino najstaršie dieťa, Freud, päť a pol roka, jeho strýko, Fifiin brat Figan, bol alfa samcom ich šimpanzej komunity. Freud vždy nasledoval Figana, akoby uctieval veľkého muža.
Raz, keď Fifi upravovala Figana, Freud vyliezol na tenkú stonku divého plantaina. Keď sa dostal k listnatej korune, začal sa divoko kývať dopredu a dozadu. Keby bol ľudským dieťaťom, povedali by sme, že sa predvádza. Zrazu sa stonka zlomila a Freud sa zrútil do vysokej trávy. Nebol zranený. Pristál blízko Jane, a keď sa jeho hlava vynorila z trávy, videla, ako sa pozerá na Figana. Všimol si to? Ak áno, nevenoval tomu pozornosť, ale pokračoval v upravovaní. Freud veľmi ticho vyliezol na ďalší strom a začal sa kŕmiť.
Psychológ z Harvardskej univerzity Marc Hauser pozoroval u samca opice rhesus to, čo by sa dalo nazvať trápnosťou. Po párení so samicou sa samec vykračoval a nešťastne spadol do priekopy. Postavil sa a rýchlo sa rozhliadol. Keď vycítil, že ho žiadne iné opice nevideli padať, odpochodoval, vztýčený chrbát, hlavu a chvost hore, akoby sa nič nestalo.
Záchrana zvierat: Súcit s tými, ktorí to potrebujú
Príbehov o zvieratách, ktoré zachraňujú príslušníkov svojho vlastného i iného druhu, vrátane ľudí, je veľa. Ukazujú, ako jednotlivci rôznych druhov prejavujú súcit a empatiu k tým, ktorí to potrebujú.
V austrálskom Torquay po tom, čo matku kengury zrazilo auto, pes objavil mláďa Joeyho v jej vrecku a odniesol ho svojmu majiteľovi, ktorý sa o mláďa staral. 10-ročný pes a 4-mesačný joey sa nakoniec stali najlepšími priateľmi.
Foto od Flickker Photos
Na pláži na Novom Zélande prišiel delfín na pomoc dvom vorvaňom uviaznutým za pieskovým barom. Potom, čo sa ľudia márne pokúšali dostať veľryby do hlbších vôd, objavil sa delfín a dve veľryby ho nasledovali späť do oceánu.
Psy sú tiež známe tým, že pomáhajú tým, ktorí to potrebujú. Stratený pitbull mutt rozbil pokus o prepadnutie ženy opúšťajúcej ihrisko so svojím synom v Port Charlotte na Floride. Policajt pre kontrolu zvierat povedal, že bolo jasné, že pes sa snažil brániť ženu, ktorú nepoznal. A mimo Buenos Aires v Argentíne pes zachránil opustené dieťa tak, že ho bezpečne umiestnil medzi jej vlastné novonarodené šteniatka. Je úžasné, že pes preniesol dieťa asi 150 stôp na miesto, kde ležali jej šteniatka, keď objavil dieťa zakryté handrou na poli.
Havrania spravodlivosť?
Biológ a odborník na havrany Bernd Heinrich vo svojej knihe Mind of the Raven poznamenal, že havrany si pamätajú jednotlivca, ktorý neustále prepadáva ich skrýše, ak ho prichytia pri čine. Niekedy sa havran pripojí k útoku na votrelca, aj keď nevidel prepadnutie skrýše.
Je toto morálne? Zdá sa, že Heinrich si myslí, že áno. O tomto správaní hovorí: "Bol to morálny havran, ktorý hľadal ľudský ekvivalent spravodlivosti, pretože obhajoval záujmy skupiny za potenciálnu cenu pre seba."
V nasledujúcich experimentoch Heinrich potvrdil, že skupinové záujmy môžu riadiť to, čo sa jednotlivý havran rozhodne urobiť. Havrany a mnohé iné zvieratá žijú podľa sociálnych noriem, ktoré uprednostňujú spravodlivosť a spravodlivosť.
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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.