照片由Ginger Me拍摄
尴尬很难观察。从定义上讲，它是一种人们试图隐藏的感觉。但世界著名灵长类动物学家珍妮·古道尔认为，她已经在黑猩猩身上观察到了可以称之为尴尬的情绪。
菲菲是一只雌性黑猩猩，简认识她超过40年。菲菲的大儿子弗洛伊德五岁半的时候，他的叔叔，也就是菲菲的兄弟菲根，是他们黑猩猩群体中的雄性首领。弗洛伊德总是像崇拜神明一样跟在菲根身后。
有一次，菲菲正在给菲根梳毛，弗洛伊德爬上了一根野车前草的细茎。当他爬到枝繁叶茂的树冠时，便开始剧烈地前后摇晃。如果他是个人类小孩，我们会说他是在炫耀。突然，茎断了，弗洛伊德摔进了长长的草丛里。他没有受伤。他落在简的附近，当他的头从草丛里探出来时，简看到他看了菲根一眼。他注意到了吗？即使注意到了，他也没有理会，继续让菲菲梳毛。弗洛伊德悄悄地爬上另一棵树，开始吃草。
哈佛大学心理学家马克·豪瑟观察到一只雄性恒河猴表现出一种类似尴尬的情绪。这只雄性恒河猴与雌性交配后，昂首阔步地走开，却不小心掉进了路边的沟里。它站起身，迅速环顾四周。在确认没有其他猴子看到它摔倒后，它便昂首挺胸，头尾高高扬起，仿佛什么都没发生过一样，继续昂首阔步地走开了。
动物救援：对需要帮助的生命充满同情心
动物救助同类和其他物种（包括人类）的故事不胜枚举。这些故事展现了不同物种的个体如何对需要帮助的生命展现出同情和共情。
在澳大利亚托基，一只袋鼠妈妈被车撞死后，一只狗在它的育儿袋里发现了一只小袋鼠，并把它带回给了主人。主人悉心照料着这只小家伙。这只10岁的狗和4个月大的小袋鼠最终成为了最好的朋友。
照片来自Flickr Photos
在新西兰的一处海滩上，两只小抹香鲸搁浅在沙洲后，一只海豚出手相救。人们试图将鲸鱼引到深水区，但无果后，海豚出现，两只鲸鱼跟随它返回了大海。
狗狗也以乐于助人而闻名。在佛罗里达州夏洛特港，一只走失的比特犬混血儿阻止了一起针对一位带着儿子离开游乐场的女子的抢劫未遂事件。一位动物管理人员表示，很明显，这只狗是在试图保护这位它并不认识的女子。而在阿根廷布宜诺斯艾利斯郊外，一只狗救下了一名被遗弃的婴儿，并将他安全地放在自己刚出生的幼犬身边。令人惊奇的是，这只狗在田野里发现了被破布盖着的婴儿后，叼着他走了大约150英尺（约45米）远，把他送到了幼犬们身边。
渡鸦正义？
生物学家兼渡鸦专家伯恩德·海因里希在其著作《渡鸦的思维》中指出，渡鸦如果亲眼目睹某人不断偷袭它们的食物储藏处，就会记住这个人。有时，即使渡鸦没有亲眼看到食物被偷，它也会加入攻击入侵者的行列。
这合乎道德吗？海因里希似乎认为合乎道德。他这样评价这种行为：“这就像一只道德的渡鸦，在寻求人类意义上的正义，因为它不惜牺牲自身利益来捍卫群体的利益。”
在随后的实验中，海因里希证实，群体利益可以左右单个渡鸦的行为。渡鸦和许多其他动物一样，都遵循着有利于公平正义的社会规范。
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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.