The Question of Animal Consciousness

Blackmore (2004) makes this statement:

      Chimpanzees vary a great deal, but generally do touch the spots. Of the three other species of great ape, orangutans and bonobos have been found to behave like the chimpanzees, but gorillas do not. The only gorilla to succeed has been Koko, a highly trained gorilla who has learned to communicate with humans using American Sign Language (ASL). When asked what she saw in the mirror, she signed “Me, Koko.” That Koko behaved so differently from other gorillas may seem surprising, but in fact it is well known that enculturated apes acquire many skills that their wild, or captive, conspecifics do not. Just what the relevant skills are in this case, though, we simply do not know (p.4).

      The final point to be made concerning animal consciousness is, affect in captivity, animals can actually grow bored. Often times in zoos and even pet stores the animals are given toys or an occasional change of their habitat to keep the animals minds stimulated. Not to mention the fact that many zoo animals and pets alike have limited space in which they can move. House cats are caught indoors with nowhere to go. Zoo animals have been known to escape and why would they if they are comfortable, well fed and safe? Boredom must be a problem? This must be in itself evidence of animal consciousness since boredom requires some level of conscious awareness for boredom to be possible at all.

      In conclusion, the question of animal consciousness being more than just wakeful alertness and reflexive instinct is still unanswered. The level of complexity of behavior such as complex tool use in certain birds and apes as well as defensive behavior and playful games of dolphins are just a few examples. There are of course laws that protect animals to some extent. Protection from cruelty like inhumane slaughtering methods, sick individuals who would take out there anger and frustrations on a trusting pet do exist, and these threats are quite real. Should such laws be unilateral or uniform as in a blanket approach? Or do they need to be designed for each type of animal for each different scenario?

      Humanity is of mixed mind and is often indecisive in the matter of animal’s rights. If an animal is able to suffer from physical pain then it is likely that they are conscious of it. All mammals experience stress and that includes psychological stress such as restraint, handling, novelty (i.e. strange sights or sounds) are great stressors. The novelty is stimuli that would normally in the wild illicit a flight response from these animals and they cannot take flight when in captivity. Suffice it to say it is very stressful and again a strong indicator of consciousness. Physical stressors as well cause suffering without question, such as hunger, thirst, fatigue, illness, exhaustion and temperature (i.e. weather or heating or air conditioning). Every indication has been given to animal consciousness. We need to consider this and look for new more humane ways to improve the animals living conditions and find new experimental methods to answer this question.