Human beings view themselves as the most dominant species in the world, with unique abilities and functions not found in the animal kingdom.
We are probably the only species that has successfully tamed all kinds of animals, from cats, mice, cows, horses, snakes, and lions, to even the gigantic elephants.
Game parks, zoos and wildlife sanctuaries prove all the various animal species that humans have held captive and dominated.
Since we have cognitive and other special abilities peculiar to us, a glance into the wild has revealed that there are many animals whose behaviour is almost human-like.
These are some of the ways animals behave like humans that will surprise you.
1. Elephants can mimic human speech
What makes us highly sophisticated among all animal species is our ability to communicate with each other, primarily through speech.
According to Live Science, elephants can make the sounds we do. Researchers discovered that an Asian elephant living in a South Korean zoo learnt to use its trunk and throat to mimic human words. The elephant can say “hello,” “good,” “no,” “sit down”, and “lie down,” all in Korean.
2. Mice can make weird faces
Facial expressions are the screen through which other humans see the pain in our bodies. Mice are also able to express pain through their faces.
In 2010, researchers at McGill University and the University of British Columbia in Canada found that mice “grimace” just like humans when they experience pain.
3. Like humans, dolphins sleep-talk
You have probably felt awkward after being told that you were mumbling incomprehensible things in your sleep. You’re not alone. Dolphins sleep-talk too.
Some French researchers recorded the marine mammals making whale sounds late at night. Five dolphins living in a marine park in France mimicked whale songs at night, which they had heard during the day at their aquarium.
4. When gambling, pigeons think like humans
Just like human beings, pigeons make gambling choices that leave them with less money in the long run while chasing big pay-outs.
When given a choice, pigeons will push a button that gives them a big, rare payout rather than one that offers a small reward at regular intervals, Live Science reports.
5. Magpies hold funeral
Losing a loved one is probably the ultimate source of great grief for humans. This is publicly expressed at funerals.
It seems magpies also hold funerals, unlike other animals. Grunge noted that magpies have been observed engaging in behaviour that looks like a memorial service. A magpie that encounters the body of another magpie might approach it and peck at it carefully as if to wake it up.
If the body doesn’t respond, the magpie will fly off and come back a few minutes later with a few blades of grass, which it will lay next to the body. Other magpies will join in the ritual, each bringing their own offering of grass. Then the magpies will stand next to the body for a little while before flying away.
