Humans and animals have had to learn to co-exist for centuries upon centuries upon centuries. A lot of us even live together with animals that we keep as pets.
As the human race, we’ve gotten to become fairly close to animals- but just how similar are we?
They have their own cultures
Like humans, animals from all around the world have their own cultures. They do things that are particular to the animals in that region that can’t be found anywhere else. For examples, certain groups of chimpanzees have been known to perform a sort of “ritualistic dance” whenever it starts to rain.
They show emotion
Just like we have the ability to express sadness, anger, happiness, and everything in between, animals also have been known to showcase similar emotions. Dog and cat owners in particular know this. You know when your little buddy is happy or scared or excited. Apes have been documented as showing sheer jealousy between parents and kids. Octopi who have been left alone with nothing to do have been known to show signs of depression. These emotions can be found all throughout the animal kingdom.
Language
Animals are great communicators. Despite the fact that they can’t physically speak and say words that we understand, they do speak, and they do it well. Every species of animal has developed their own way of communication, whether it’s through noises, movements, or simple eye contact.
Humour Entertainment
Animals have their own ways of entertaining themselves and expressing laughter and happiness when they are entertained. Puppies chase each other around, monkeys play, and even the great tiger likes to chase its own tail. Apes in particular have been known to physically laugh when they are entertained.
Tool use
Animals are, as a whole, relatively smart. They are also able to use the resources available to them in order to help themselves out when it comes to survival. Crows, elephants, monkeys, and even dolphins have been known to make/use their own tools to their advantage.
Great Memories
Like humans, animals use their memory in order to help them decide the best way to approach certain situations. A lion that has had a bad experience hunting in a certain area will take extra caution the next time. A squirrel will hide food so that it is able to eat it several months later. Amazing.
Self Awareness
There are a handful of animals who have been shown to be aware of itself as a separate being. For a long time, it was thought that only humans could do this. However, certain animals, like elephants, have been shown that they have the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror and not think that they are looking at a different elephant.
Intelligence to create
As noted earlier, animals can be pretty damn smart. This is evidenced in the ways that animals have been known to create things like homes, ‘weapons’ and ‘defenses. ’ Birds will use their beaks and incredible senses to build their own nests from scratch. Ants can build wildly intricate ant hills that can house thousands of their own kind. Some of the greatest builders on earth are, in fact, animals. Wild.
