Are animals more empathetic and intelligent than we think?

donfers · 09-06-2010 05:34PM #1

two examples that you may already have seen

hero dog rescues other dog from Chilean motorway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgWUeI3AHrs

fully grown lion remembers his human owners and greets them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNTdWbVBgc

questions?

How did dog know his mate was in trouble?

How did dog know to drag him out of way of traffic?

Why did dog risk his own life (if indeed he thought he was risking his life) to help mate?

How did Christian remember his human owners having not seen them in so long?

Were his owners not scared that

a) he might not remember them?

b) even if he did remember them, maybe he might get too enthusiastic during the reunion and injure them?

How can a wild animal create such a bond with a different species of creature?

AnonoBoy · 09-06-2010 05:36PM

Christian - pretty good name for a lion considering the amount of them his ancestors would have eaten in ancient Rome.

minidazzler · 09-06-2010 05:36PM

How long is string?

Some animals perhaps, but stupid question.

easyeason3 · 09-06-2010 05:39PM

I know goldfish with more empathy & intelligence than some people.

brummytom · 09-06-2010 05:43PM

Some people are stupid. Most animals are stupid.

They recognise/remember people, most animals do. It doesn't mean they care

My thoughts;

How did dog know his mate was in trouble?

Dogs would well be aware that cars are dangerous - every time a dog goes near the road, its owner will restrain it until it's safe to cross. They understand cars are dangerous; our cat looks both ways before crossing the road

How did dog know to drag him out of way of traffic?

As above; he thought his mate was in trouble

Why did dog risk his own life (if indeed he thought he was risking his life) to help mate?

Pack mentality, I'd presume

How did Christian remember his human owners having not seen them in so long?

Good memory?

Were his owners not scared that
a) he might not remember them?

It depends how well they knew him. If they knew him from birth and kept him for many years, I doubt they'd be worried he wouldn't remember them

b) even if he did remember them, maybe he might get too enthusiastic during the reunion and injure them?

As above, if they knew/trained him for many years, I don't see any reason as to why they're be worried.

How can a wild animal create such a bond with a different species of creature?

Who knows, we all seek companionship in different forms don't we?

Hazys · 09-06-2010 05:44PM

That dog is awesome!!! He's my hero!!!

The dog for Taioseach!!!!

mink_man · 09-06-2010 05:45PM

no because i already respect how intelligent they are!

easyeason3 · 09-06-2010 05:46PM

brummytom wrote: »

Some people are stupid. Most animals are stupid.

They recognise/remember people, most animals do. It doesn't mean they care

Take that back!!!!
Animals do care, a lot, especially dogs.
Gonna sound like a weirdo but my pooch knows when I'm really pissed off & is extra good & affectionate.

IM0 · 09-06-2010 05:46PM

dogs lick their own bollox..if they were intelligent they would get another dog to do it

minidazzler · 09-06-2010 05:50PM

easyeason3 wrote: »

Take that back!!!!
Animals do care, a lot, especially dogs.
Gonna sound like a weirdo but my pooch knows when I'm really pissed off & is extra good & affectionate.

You don't sound like a weirdo at all love, just a crazy person.

The orderlies will be arriving shortly.

IvySlayer · 09-06-2010 05:50PM

I do think we have a lot more in common with animals than most people think.

As for the dog, any human would've done the exact same thing. Even a dog knows that cars are fast, dangerous things and he had to get his friend to safety by dragging him. It's sweet.

The lion, he wasn't fully grown and still a teen. I imagine if he was a dominant male, things would've been different. Maybe not. I think Christian was imprinted on the humans?

donfers · 09-06-2010 05:53PM

by the way guys I have had numerous pms asking if the hero dog's mate died and according to Chilean authorities yes he did die

Tar.Aldarion · 09-06-2010 05:55PM

We are not as different from animals as people like to tell themselves. I was raised to think differently, I think otherwise.

There are far more examples than this and of animals mourning other animals or missing them etc.

easyeason3 · 09-06-2010 05:56PM

donfers wrote: »

by the way guys I have had numerous pms asking if the hero dog's mate died and according to Chilean authorities yes he did die

I want to hurt you

09-06-2010 05:57PM

Speaking as a platypus, I think we are every bit as intelligent as humans.

And we love to party.

mikom · 09-06-2010 05:57PM

First turtles, now this bear........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghgg_fukbvU

Animals can be smart enough if the want to be.

Deus Ex Machina · 09-06-2010 05:58PM

How empathetic and intelligent do we think they are?

Little Acorn · 09-06-2010 06:00PM

That lion Christian was head of his own family.
A lioness (possibly more than 1-not sure), and some cubs.
Even though the lioness had never laid eyes on these 2 men before, she still let them be around her, AND her cubs, they got to sit with them and everything!

Love that story, there's more clips with the full story on youtube. It was taken from the series Born Free I think.:)

candy-gal1 · 09-06-2010 06:03PM

mikom wrote: »

First turtles, now this bear........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghgg_fukbvU

Animals can be smart enough if the want to be.

Pffffttttt! trying to be a panda! :rolleyes:

donfers · 09-06-2010 06:05PM

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

How empathetic and intelligent do we think they are?

not very, we eat them after all

Little Acorn · 09-06-2010 06:12PM

Elephants grieve their dead too.
A mother elephant will stay with her dead baby elephant for days on end before moving on.
Elephants will return and visit, in their herd to the body of a fellow elephant that has died recently.
Even years after a death,it has been observed that elephants if passing by will pause for several minutes in silence over area where death of another elephant took place.

Sea Sharp · 09-06-2010 06:14PM

People are not as empathetic or intelligent as everyone seems to think.

donfers · 09-06-2010 06:15PM

I have also heard that waterhorses will mourn for days, even weeks when one of their friends/loved ones dies, standing guard over the body as the crocs wait patiently to eat their mate up, until starving, brokenhearted and bereft they eventually must abandon the body and the crocs steam in

I am not trying to make you cry, I am merely exposing the soul

ScumLord · 09-06-2010 06:25PM

donfers wrote: »

How did dog know his mate was in trouble?

How did dog know to drag him out of way of traffic?

Why did dog risk his own life (if indeed he thought he was risking his life) to help mate?

I see nothing to say he wasn't dragging it away to eat it, seems unlikely unless food was very scarce and there where lot's of stray dogs around that may have got to the meat before him.

In wolves and wild dogs there's usually only one breeding couple and the pack look after that one set of pups so it's not unusual for dogs to look out for younger members of the pack, in hyena the young have a higher rank in the pack than older dogs.

It is odd that animals we keep as pets from birth are so attached to us, they wouldn't be so attached to their own parents or offspring, but then their own parents and offspring often wouldn't be as nice to them as their human captors.

I think there's people who don't give animals enough credit and think of them as no better than complex machines and others you give them way to much credit giving them human quality's they simply don't have.

I put them on a level pegging with humans they're living creatures born into the world the same way we are and face the same challenges we face in a different way.

mariaf24 · 09-06-2010 06:34PM

I adore animals,i do. Especially dogs,I love them. But sometimes when people are going on and on about how intelligent and wonderful their dogs are and the dog is looking,tail wagging,hyper eyes,panting... I can't help but think that the dog is actually,well, pretty stupid....

Prof.Badass · 09-06-2010 06:42PM

I think through observing and dealing with animals most people can get a good idea of how intelligent/empathetic they can be, but then they over-ride this sensible conclusion with the christianity-based belief that there's nothing going on up there in an animal's brain.

While most animals might not have much in the way of abstract thought, it's logical that for example animals that live in close social groups (such as dogs) would have high social intelligence.

I don't see how any complex organism faced with decisions that impact it's survival could do so without being able to feel some sort of basic good/bad feelings. The evidence points towards even insects having their own reward systems;
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/uoia-hbo121908.php

And as for altruism, humans have nothing on the likes of ants and honeybees.

kowloon · 09-06-2010 06:50PM

me@ucd wrote: »

dogs lick their own bollox..if they were intelligent they would get another dog to do it

Most intelligent men spend most of their free time looking for someone to lick their balls. Perhaps the dogs have realised the futility of it all and embraced the axiom: if you want something done right, do it yourself.

nyarlothothep · 09-06-2010 07:04PM

animals are not people

prinz · 09-06-2010 07:06PM

vinylmesh wrote: »

.. but then they over-ride this sensible conclusion with the christianity-based belief that there's nothing going on up there in an animal's brain.

Christianity based belief? Uh what?

09-06-2010 07:09PM

me@ucd wrote: »

dogs lick their own bollox..if they were intelligent they would get another dog to do it

If we could do it, we would.

Myrddin · 09-06-2010 07:11PM

Are animals more empathetic and intelligent than we think?

There's only one person who can answer that conclusively - Mary Harney. And from what Ive seen, the answer is clearly evident.

Are animals more empathetic and intelligent than we think?

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