We know animals have emotion. They can feel fear. We also think they feel love, since they have strong relationships with each other. So are animal emotion all similar to our own? And do animals have a sense of humor?
A Parrot Named Bongo Marie
Sally Blanchard’s parrot Bongo Marie didn’t get along with her other parrot, Paco. In fact, Bongo Marie clearly didn’t link Paco at all!!! One day, Blanchard cooked a chicken for dinner. She started to cut the chicken with a knife. “Oh, no! Paco!” Bongo Marie said loudly and laughed. Blanchard laughed, too, and said, “That’s not Paco.” “Oh …no,” said Bongo Marie. This time, she sounded disappointed. Then the parrot laughed at her own joke.
Yoga Dog
Jean Donaldson enjoys doing yoga-and so does her dog Buffy. While Jean Donaldson does yoga, Buffy carefully places her toys on Donaldson’s body. If a toy falls, Buffy runs to put in back. Does this behavior have any real purpose? “She thinks it’s hilarious!” says Donaldson.
Animal Laughter
Can dogs “laugh”? Recent research shows that dogs can tell each other when they want to play. They make a special sound-a kind of “laugh.” Psychologist Patricia Simonet recorded the sound. Then she played it back to dogs to assess their behavior. “All the dogs seemed to link the laugh,” says Simonet. So do animals have a sense of humor? If laughter is a clue, then perhaps the answer is “yes!”