What is animal sentience?
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Sentient animals are aware of their feelings and emotions. These could be negative feelings such as pain, frustration and fear. It is logical to suppose that sentient animals also enjoy feelings of comfort, enjoyment, contentment, and perhaps even great delight and joy.
Science shows us some interesting abilities in farm animals:
- sheep can recognise up to 50 other sheep’s faces and remember them for two years
- cows show excitement when they discover how to open a gate leading to a food reward
- mother hens teach their chicks which foods are good to eat
- lame meat chickens choose to eat food which contains a painkiller.
Scientists believe that sentience is necessary because it helps animals to survive by:
- learning more effectively from experience in order to cope with the world
- distinguishing and choosing between different objects, animals and situations such as working out who is helpful or who might cause them harm
- understanding social relationships and the behaviour of other indivi...
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