Rooapalooza
bird wrangler
People tend to draw a weird line between humans and other animals, as if humans being (usually) more intelligent, makes us above the animal kingdom. Usually people give themselves too much credit and animals not enough. How much do people do based on instinct? Someone mentioned walking to the fridge repeatedly even though there isn't anything in it. I think it's pretty obvious in human groups that we form pecking orders. When humans meet new people, we always subconsciously or consciously determine who is dominant, a threat, an ally, a potential partner, etc. We have natural physiological reactions to other people, places, and things, based on our conscious or unconscious memories and associations. Our hormones control our moods and decisions in a huge way, as well.
Some people say that animals aren't aware of death. That doesn't seem true to me because I've seen videos of whales, monkeys, and elephants, grieving over lost members of their groups. I've seen my rooster calling and looking for missing members of my flock; same with brood-mates who lose one of their own. It doesn't look like grief in the same way, but if you've ever seen a broody hen freaking out over a chick in trouble, surely you can empathize with her? Why do we love our children if not out of instinct? How are human wars different from rival packs/flocks/dominant birds fighting for resources?
What makes humans special is the ability to self reflect, probably. I don't blame my chickens or my cat or a fox or a hawk when they kill, because they don't know better. We do; that ability gives us the responsibility to take care of each other, other animals, and the environment, since we are the only ones able. But we mostly don't do that? My point is that we are animals too. Incidentally, chicken brains are often used to simulate human brains in experiments, because they are so similar.
Some people say that animals aren't aware of death. That doesn't seem true to me because I've seen videos of whales, monkeys, and elephants, grieving over lost members of their groups. I've seen my rooster calling and looking for missing members of my flock; same with brood-mates who lose one of their own. It doesn't look like grief in the same way, but if you've ever seen a broody hen freaking out over a chick in trouble, surely you can empathize with her? Why do we love our children if not out of instinct? How are human wars different from rival packs/flocks/dominant birds fighting for resources?
What makes humans special is the ability to self reflect, probably. I don't blame my chickens or my cat or a fox or a hawk when they kill, because they don't know better. We do; that ability gives us the responsibility to take care of each other, other animals, and the environment, since we are the only ones able. But we mostly don't do that? My point is that we are animals too. Incidentally, chicken brains are often used to simulate human brains in experiments, because they are so similar.