We do share this world with them after all

In A Change of Heart about Animals, Jeremy Rifkin explains that animals aren't that different at all from humans emotionally. Study shows that they feel pain suffering, stress, affection, excitement and even love. Rifkin tells us about a study at Purdue University that shows pigs craving for affection and easily getting depressed if isolated or denied playtime. This proves to show their side of showing stress and boredom.  Rifkin then turns our heads to another study at Oxford University about two birds named Betty and Abel. In this experiment the two birds are given two wires, one straight and one bent. The goal was to use the bent wire to obtain food inside a tube.  Abel being the dominant male took the bent wire and obtained the food while Betty was stuck with the straight wire. Nine out of the ten times she bent the wire to obtain the food. This study shows to be personally very valuable and interesting since it proves that animals can use logic skills to survive.  Similar to logic, a gorilla in northern California named Koko shows high intelligence by mastering 1000 sign language symbols and understanding several thousand English words. Not only that but she reached the human IQ of 70-95. This is technically a below average score for us but then again we’re humans and she’s a gorilla. For an animal to be able to understand so much as that is very impressive, as well as showing that we can engage in some communication. Rifkin introduces us to the subject of whether animals feel self-awareness or not.  Some philosophers and animal behaviorists argue that animals aren't capable of such things because they lack individualism. However, at the Washington zoo orangutans are given mirrors and they explore the parts of their bodies they can’t see themselves. One orangutan named Chantek from Atlanta Zoo uses his mirror to groom his teeth and adjust his sunglasses. If you ask me this is perfect proof of self-awareness and individualism. Only those who are would bother to explore the parts of ourselves we cannot see and customize our appearance with accessories. Rifkin then turns the tables to the subject of grief. Some people believe that animals don’t know the concept of death. However, Elephants would stand next to their dead kin for days showing signs of grief. He may not show actual scientific proof that they do show grief but the sighs don’t lie. Lastly, he gets into the recent study of learning that not everything animals do is instinct like we so believed, but some things must be taught to them. One example would be geese showing their goslings their migration routes.  Lessons such as these are passed on from parent to offspring.  As I finish up the article I can come up with the personal conclusion that we should add more animal rights. It’s proven scientifically that animals feel the same emotions as we do so why must they suffer for our curiosity and cruelty? I know that this world would never be perfect and there will always be pray and predator but it won’t kill us to show our fellow creatures respect. We do share this world with them after all.