animal thoughts

Some animals can feel and think in ways not too dissimilar from us, welfare campaigners say.

They say there is evidence of altruism, with some animals acting disinterestedly for the good of others. Animals which live in communities, they say, often exhibit signs of morality which resembles human behaviour. There is scientific backing for their claims, with huge implications for human use of animals.

The concept that animals are sentient - possessing a level of conscious awareness, and able to have feelings - was recognised by the European Union in 1997.

In a briefing paper, CIWF (compassion in world farming) says: "There is evidence that some animals do have some level of morality and some concern over other animals."

"Living within a group requires a moral code of behaviour... Most animals that live in communities exhibit similar moral codes to humans."

"Zoologists who have spent their professional lives studying animal behaviour, either by observation or by experiments to test their mental capacities, believe that many animals feel and think."

The claim of scientific backing for the concept of animal sentience has its critics, who say it is simple anthropomorphism, the projection of human traits onto animals.

Read this whole BBC article here or read the bluelight thread here.