Cows
hold grudges, say scientists
By Jonathan Leake
February 28, 2005
ONCE they were a byword for mindless
docility. But cows have a complex mental
life in which they bear grudges, nurture
friendships and become excited by intellectual
challenges, researchers have found.
Cows
are capable of strong emotions such
as pain, fear and even anxiety about
the future. But if farmers provide the
right conditions, they can also feel
great happiness.
The findings have emerged from studies
of farm animals that have found similar
traits in pigs, goats and chickens.
They suggest such animals may be so
emotionally similar to humans that welfare
laws need to be reconsidered.
The
research will be presented to a conference
in London next month sponsored by animal
welfare group Compassion in World Farming.
Christine
Nicol, professor of animal welfare at
Britain's Bristol University, said even
chickens might have to be treated as
individuals with needs and problems.
"Remarkable
cognitive abilities and cultural innovations
have been revealed," she said.
"Our challenge is to teach others
that every animal we intend to eat or
use is a complex individual, and to
adjust our farming culture accordingly."
Her
colleague John Webster added: "People
have assumed intelligence is linked
to the ability to suffer, and that because
animals have smaller brains they suffer
less than humans. That is a pathetic
piece of logic."
The
Bristol researchers have documented
how cows within a herd form friendship
groups of between two and four animals
with whom they spend most of their time,
often grooming and licking each other.
They will also dislike other cows, and
can bear grudges for months or years.
Donald
Broom, professor of animal welfare at
Cambridge University, will tell the
conference how cows can become excited
by solving intellectual challenges.
In
one study, researchers challenged the
animals with a task where they had to
find how to open a door to get some
food. An electroencephalograph was used
to measure their brainwaves.
"The
brainwaves showed their excitement;
their heartbeat went up and some even
jumped into the air. We called it their
Eureka moment," Professor Broom
said.
The
assumption that farm animals cannot
suffer from conditions that would be
intolerable for humans is partly based
on the idea they have no sense of self.
Latest research suggests this is untrue.
"Sentient
animals have the capacity to experience
pleasure and are motivated to seek it,"
Professor Webster said.
"You
only have to watch how cows and lambs
both seek and enjoy pleasure when they
lie with their heads raised to the sun
on a perfect English summer's day. Just
like humans."
