From Apes to Elephants, Wolves to Whales, a Tour of Animals’ Minds and Emotions

[HuckleB]

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/15/from-apes-to-elephants-wolves-to-whales-a-tour-of-animals-minds-and-emotions/?_r=0

Regular readers of Dot Earth will already know the work of Carl Safina, who for decades has meshed conservation science, campaigning and communication in a career devoted to building a durable relationship between human beings and the rest of Earth’s living things.

His focus, until now, has been on the ocean and winged, finned or flippered species that depend on it. In his new book, “Beyond Words,” Safina divides his time between the marine and terrestrial worlds, examining animals’ intelligence and feelings both through the lens of science and simply through wonder-filled observation. Apes, lemurs, wolves and their domesticated kin, elephants, dolphins and killer whales are among the subjects in this captivating bestiary of animal behavior.

I particularly enjoyed a chapter titled “Woo-Woo,” a term meant to describe marvels of animal behavior that science has yet to explain. Safina, a longtime friend and fishing buddy, gave me permission to publish an excerpt here. I hope you enjoy it, and explore the book in full. Here’s the excerpt:

…The fact is, killer whales seem capable of random acts of kindness. Acts that defy explanation. Acts that make scientists consider some pretty far-out possibilities. It can seem that killer whale behavior falls into two categories: amazing behavior and inexplicable behavior.

..."


One criticism of the book is that he doesn't seem to acknowledge that Orcas also seem capable of random acts of violence. Still... Yes, this is an area where scientific tools have not caught up to scientific curiosity. Still, it's worth exploring.