Hobbies And Interests
Cetaceans: Empaths of the Sea
Recent studies in neurology has shown that mammals such as whales and dolphins have the same brain structures in humans thought to be responsible for empathy, an emotion central to a moral sense. "Empathy" in cetaceans has been observed in acts of consolation (comforting a peer) and targeted helping (intentionally assisting another being in need). For example, bottlenose dolphins have been observed biting and pulling through nets to save their captured companions, supporting ill companions close to the surface of the water to prevent them from drowning and staying close to dolphin mothers who are in labor. Whales have been observed placing themselves between hunting boats and injured companions in order to protect them, sometimes tipping the boat in order to ward the threat away. Empathy-based behaviors in dolphins may even be directed towards other species. In the BBC documentary "Natural World," two encounters are shown in which dolphins show interspecies empathy for humans: in one instance, dolphins were observed accompanying an injured man being hauled back to a rescue boat after being attacked by a mako shark, and in the other, a group of dolphins wards off a great white shark by encircling a group of lifeguards training out in the deep. Both instances are made even more remarkable since dolphins are prey of both mako and great white sharks and put themselves at considerable risk to protect the swimmers.
Primates: Sharing and Caring
Empathy and moral behavior are often necessary for coordinated group activity and group survival, especially among highly social animals like primates. Primates often lick and clean the wounds of their companions; baby rhesus monkeys will often embrace or pile on top of a distressed, screaming peer. Sharing food is a major part of primate life. Many argue that the sharing of food is not altruistic since most members except the top-ranking are pressured to share, and sharing is necessary for group survival; however, the top-ranking primates tend to be the most generous, and sharing is seen to occur even when individuals are separated by bars (and thus not under pressure to share). Like dolphins, primates have been observed engaging in targeted helping. A mother will help her youngster climb between two trees by forming a bridge with her body in a behavior called "tree-bridging." Primates will also show concern for others in the presence of a threat, such as females who defend each other against an aggressive dominant male. Not only do the females work together, but they seek comfort with each other. Some chimpanzees have been known to save drowning companions even though they themselves cannot swim; Jane Goodall, famous primate researcher, observed one chimpanzee lose its life during an attempt to rescue a chimp infant who had fallen into the water. Primates have been observed caring for abandoned youngsters: author and primatologist Franze de Wal, in "Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape", tells of bonobos that have been observed saving the lives of drowning birds.
An Elephant Never Forgets -- to Help
Elephants are another kind of intelligent, highly social animal who show a rich social life and variety of unusual behaviors. They have been observed reassuring distressed companions, supporting companions too weak to stand or reaching their trunks into water to pull a young elephant onto the land. Cynthia Moss, in her book "Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family," tells of two elephants who rushed to save a young female elephant that had been shot by a poacher: "Her family tried everything to rouse her, kicking and tusking her, and Tallulah even went off and collected a trunkful of grass and tried to stuff it into her mouth." Adult elephants will chase predators away from newborns or break up play fights between energetic youngsters. They will also keep youngsters away from dangerous areas, such as ledges or steep riverbanks. Some mothers have trampled electric fences to make an easier way for their calves. Other empathy-based behaviors include forming groups, retrieving and supervising each others' calves and removing foreign objects attached to others.
Moral Behavior in Man's Best Friend
Dogs, like dolphins, primates and elephants, are social creatures with a strict social order. Parent dogs teach their puppies social roles and help them build relationships with pack members. Wolf packs have complex dominance hierarchies and divisions of labor and hunt and raise young cooperatively. Dogs are sensitive to others, recognize body language signals and play fair. For example, dogs at play show their intention not to hurt each other with a system of signals. Cheaters -- dogs who give the playing signal but then bite too hard or play too rough -- become socially neglected and get chosen less as play partners. Dogs also have an intuitive understanding of fair play, refusing to play with people when another dog is given a better deal.
Dogs are famous for protecting their human owners: Blue, an Australian cattle dog from Fort Myers, Florida, guarded his his 83-year-old owner against an alligator, receiving 30 lacerations in the process. A dog in Arizona is credited with keeping her 3-year-old master safe as they spent the night in the wilderness in 30-degree weather.