The
Cambridge declaration on consciousness is a document which declares that many
animal species are conscious of what is going on and are as aware of their
surroundings as we humans. This is a document that has been signed by many
prominent cognitive and neuroscience experts (1).
We
may point at a bonobo and nod wisely, but saying “Hi” to a cuttlefish may
stretch most of us. So let’s get over these hang-ups and recognize that the
separation between us and our dog is not as great as all that. Maybe our dog is
a little more tolerant of our peccadillos than our spouse, and next time we
decide to take off to the woods, we should invite him into the cab instead od
of expecting him to sit outside in the back of the truck to get over-hyped by
the other traffic pulling up beside you at the lights.
Birds
don’t give us much of a problem unless they are crows and we have been less
than polite to some of their clan; if so we will have problems down the future
generations just like the old Appalachian feuds of Hatfield – McCoy levels. So
take care to smile at your crow neighbors. I guess we might be safer being
sarcastic to turkeys as long as it is prior to Thanksgiving when that squeezing
of their thighs is a prelude to acts which we don’t wish to speak of aloud –
certainly not within their hearing.
Dolphins,
porpoises and whales are no slouches either, but because they choose to live in
the water, which doesn’t suit us, we tend to lump them into the fish category
who tend to be rather flighty. Octopus, squid or cuttlefish are also looked at as
calamari rather than conscious fellow travellers in this world of tears.
Perhaps
we can show a little kindness prior to our complete exploitation. If we can
learn to do this to a poor squid, perhaps we can pass that lesson on to our bankers
and politicians.
