Pig Intelligence Rivals That Of Dogs And Chimps

The full article is here.

Pigs are easily one of the most misunderstood animal species. They’re viewed by many as dirty and useful for little more than a food source—but in fact they’re highly intelligent (and among the cleanest domestic animals).

A report published in the International Journal of Comparative Psychology reviewed cognition, emotion and personality in pigs and revealed they share many traits with animals that are considered to be intelligent.¹

Pigs are highly intelligent.

Pig Intelligence Rivals That of Dogs and Chimps

Study co-author and neuroscientist Lori Marino of Emory University and The Nonhuman Rights Project said in a press release:

“We have shown that pigs share a number of cognitive capacities with other highly intelligent species such as dogs, chimpanzees, elephants, dolphins, and even humans … There is good scientific evidence to suggest we need to rethink our overall relationship to them.”

Pigs, it appears, develop sophisticated social behaviors, including competitive behaviors, as seen in some primate species. They are also sensitive to the attentional state of humans, which is also seen in dogs and primates.

For instance, young pigs can utilize human head cues to discriminate between different attention states in humans. They prefer humans who are attentive, and can also distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar humans.

In addition, pigs may show empathy; they not only connect with the emotions of other pigs but also to do so with pigs who are responding emotionally in anticipation of future events. The researchers also revealed that pigs:³

Should Intelligent Animals Like Pigs Have Rights?

Research into the sentience of pigs raises some important ethical considerations. Most people would agree that chimpanzees, dogs and other intelligent creatures, like elephants and dolphins, deserve some form of protections and rights.

Yet, pigs, which appear to be similarly intelligent, are raised in some of the most inhumane conditions on the planet.

The Nonhuman Rights Project is tackling such issues head on; they’re petitioning courts to recognize that existing scientific evidence suggests certain nonhuman animals are entitled to basic legal rights, including bodily liberty and integrity.

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2016/04/26/pig-intelligence-rivals-..

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