Animal Morality

In this article from The Telegraph (UK), Marc Bekoff, an ecologist at the University of Colorado, espouses the theories from his new book, Wild Justice. His basic premises is that animals have moral codes, a trait previously thought to only apply to humans. "The belief that humans have morality and animals don't is a long standing assumption, but there is a growing amount of evidence that is showing us that this simply cannot be the case," he said.

He goes on to cite examples from numerous species including wolves, coyotes, elephants, Diana monkeys, chimpanzees, rodents, bats and whales. Some of the wild members of the dog family exhibit behaviors that sound like those seen in domesticated dogs, including "play" biting to initiate integration into a pack, even by a dominant member of the pack. Packs of wolves and coyotes exhibit fairness, similar to that displayed by domesticated dogs who "share" treats with their pack members.

Monkeys exhibit this same type of "fairness" concept. A male laboratory Diana monkey who was trained to insert a token into a slot to receive food, "helped" an older monkey with the behavior when it proved to be too difficult for her. Likewise, chimpanzees treated the chimpanzee known as Knuckles who has cerebral palsy, "differently" than they did the other chimps in the group. He is rarely subject to intimidation or aggression from older males.

The most remarkable example of moral behavior came from elephants, however. In 2003, a herd of 11 elephants "rescued" antelopes who were being held in an enclosure in a South African game reserve. The matriarch of the herd used her trunk to unlatch the gate and hold it open so that all the antelope could escape. This, according to Richard Gray who wrote the piece, "is thought to be a rare example of animals showing empathy for members of another species--a trait previously thought to be the exclusive preserve of mankind."

My own dogs actually exhibit remarkable pack behavior, including me in their group. When we are in the dog park, one or more of them always circles back to check on whatever straggler (human or animal) is lagging behind. Interestingly enough it is often the youngest, Sammy, who adopts the role of "pack-watcher," taking the older dogs under his wing. I know Amos has the instinct to herd all of us but goldens are more prone to chasing than herding. Did he learn from Amos or did he take on this responsibility all by himself? And is he doing it to "take care" of us or to make sure we are "watching" him?

Who knows? But I do think that Bekof's suggestions are not human projections of our moral code on the animals we observe. I do think each species abides by its own code of conduct that includes ethics that may or may not jive with ours.

What do you think?