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Rats Show Empathy (Unlike Some Humans)

by thunderbird
6 replies
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This doesn't come as a surprise to me:

Rats show empathy for others in chocolate chip test - World - CBC News
#animal intelligence #rat empathy
  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    People who understand animals and animal behavior aren't the least surprised at studies like this. We've known about the compassion of animals for a long - and the intelligence. Too bad it is taking "science" so long to figure it out
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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    The female human would have gone for the chocolate...

    That female rat had ulterior motives...for all we know, he might be the George Clooney of rats!
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  • Profile picture of the author Roaddog
    These were real pictures taken in a Kenyan wildlife preserve...

    if you click thru to youtube there are a number of 'strange bedfellows'



    As a lifelong animal lover, as Kay pointed out, animals showing love and feelings and loyalty is no surprise.
    Some pictures are still amazing to see though...

    There is a another story somewhere on the net about a cheetah or lion in the wild that have been friends (in the wild since youngsters) one of the reasons I can't find it now is because I don't remember which kind of animals they were...but like I said it is still amazing to see it in pictures though.

    Not just the same old dog, cat, mouse friends...natural enemies in the wild, having compassion for each other, is amazing to see.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Kay is right. The empathy of animals is not obscure to those who enjoy actual communication with other species. I am not sure if this nature survives some forms of captivity, though. Human's are naturally empathetic animals - but there are environments in which they lose this nature.

    The environment in which the US now raises their children is counterproductive to empathy development. Studies have shown that outside activity and socialization develops empathy. Fear of allowing kids do things like go to a park together, and keeping them in and under surveillance erodes empathy- as does sitting in front of a computer continually rather than enjoying social activity and nature immersion. There are a myriad social conditions that erode empathy, some are pretty obscure -- but the results are deafening.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
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    Even spiders are "intelligent."

    I remember seeing one on my Bathroom floor and when he spotted me he pretended to be dead (with his legs crumpled etc.) Little bugger. : )
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  • Profile picture of the author iidesu
    I'm not at all surprised. This just shows us how low human class can be when the so-called "world-economy" is so intertwined it seems the ultimate goal of living is to earn as much money as possible.
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