Intellegent animals

[Beekeeper]

Some years ago a horse with foal were stood by a cattle grid, the horse stepped back a few paces and jumped the grid quite easily, the foal looking on, decided it was too big a jump so instead, stood parallel to the grid, layed down on it and rolled over and then got up the other side and off they trotted together.

The phrase dumb animals always annoys me, i often think they have far more intellegence than we give them credit.

BK

[The Woodman]

This sounds like one of those rural myths, BK!

[volence]

It may be a myth but I believe animals are alot more intelligent than we think

[The Woodman]

Is it genuine intelligence or reasoning?

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

Is it genuine intelligence or reasoning?

I think evidence of reasoning would be evidence of intelligence. I think that many reactions to stimuli that may appear to be intelligence are in fact innate behaviours, and this is particularly so in the lower orders, e.g. invertebrates.

Surely the description "dumb animal" refers to their inability to speak, rather than the more American "dumb" meaning stupid?

And forget about the dog who said "sausages"!

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Beekeeper

The phrase dumb animals always annoys me, i often think they have far more intellegence than we give them credit. BK

This phrase goes back to a time when in UK usage "dumb" exclusively referred to "having a lack of language". It is true that such a lack was frequently seen to equate with "feeblemindedness" however the broad intent of the prhase "dumb animals" was to convey those creatures (of God's creation etc) that lacked a capacity to speak for themselves. It's only the import of 20thC American usage that has seen dumb = stupid become the common meaning in the UK.

There may well be a widespread continuing underestimation of non human animal 'intelligence', but IMO that is a result of a poor grasp by most humans of the complexities of the faculties that we conveniently lump together in a way that just happens to put humans at the top of a pile when the measure is 'who's got the biggest and shows it off most frequently'.

CM

[mbaldw]

stood parallel to the grid, layed down on it and rolled over and then got up the other side and off they trotted together.

Interesting observation. I remember an article on the news a couple of years ago (I think it was on the BBC) that said a population of feral goats somewhere (Devon sounds familiar, but don't quote me on that) managed to get across local cattle grids by lying down and rolling over them or tip-toeing across on the bars.

Cheers,
Marc.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by mbaldw

Interesting observation. I remember an article on the news a couple of years ago (I think it was on the BBC) that said a population of feral goats somewhere (Devon sounds familiar, but don't quote me on that) managed to get across local cattle grids by lying down and rolling over them or tip-toeing across on the bars. Cheers, Marc.

It's an old, old story : WalesOnline - What's On - Columnists - When sheep start making it into the papers, you know it's summer

of course there's nothing like an Insurance claim to imbue animals with supernatural powers Rising number of escaped livestock compensation claims - Accidents Direct.com

perhaps a good measure of incredulity is an essential ingredient in higher intelligence.

CM

[Beekeeper]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

This sounds like one of those rural myths, BK!

In this case it isn't a s i saw it with my own eyes

BK

[Beekeeper]

Keeping on the subject of horses, the local ones that roam the pavements looking for an open gate, learnt how to open them by themselves so everyone had to fit cow catches to stop them destroying their gardens.

One horse recently made the most of open gates and if he couldn't find any he would try to kick them down, in a space of a couple of weeks, this particular horse demolished a low garden wall to gain access, flattened fences and broke my own gate into two pieces with one hefty kick, fortunately the horse was branded and after a couple of phone calls was removed from our patch of forest.

BK