Are Humans the Only Animals with Emotions?
Do animals have emotions, and if so, which ones? Scientists and animal lovers often debate this issue. In the past, many scientists believed that animals were not capable of showing complex human emotions such as empathy (共情). Empathy is the understanding of and sharing in another's feelings. For example, if your little brother's rabbit dies, you probably would feel bad for him.
Several recent experiments support the theory that animals feel empathy. In 1964, one study showed that rhesus monkeys would not accept food if another monkey got an electric shock. Likewise, biologist Marc Bekoff reports that when he was watching elephants in Kenya, he noticed an elephant that had been crippled for years. Although the elephant moved very slowly, other elephants never left it behind. They'd stop walking, check on her, and then wait for her. Bekoff also tells of Alaskan little bears whose mother was shot and died. One little bear had been wounded, so he walked and swam painfully slowly, but his sister never left his side.
There are reports of animals showing emotions besides empathy, too. In 2000, a humpback whale was trapped in fishing lines off California's coast. After divers freed the whale, it played with each diver, seeming to show gratitude. Gorillas, llamas, and many other animals appear to express grief when a mate dies. And then there's the story of the two abandoned dogs that were taken to an animal shelter. When one of them went blind, the other led his companion around the new environment until the blind dog learned its way around. Maybe humans and animals aren't so different after all.
14. "An animal shelter" in Paragraph 3 is a place where animals are _________