Have you ever wondered what goes on in an animal's mind? What kinds of thoughts it has, or whether it can be sad or happy? Do they think like people do? It turns out that research is proving more and more just how complex animals' thoughts can be. And some of the things they are capable of are quite amazing!
There are 1,305,250 species of animals in this world, 62,305 of these with backbones
We are all made up of similar systems. However different species, of which humans are just one, all have different abilities and needs in order to be fit and happy. Many feel the same kinds of sensations and emotions as us: hunger and thirst, heat and cold, pain and pleasure, fear, stress and anxiety
But they don't always feel things in the same way, or react in ways that make it easy for humans to understand.
Most animals are what we describe as 'sentient' - they can think, perceive their environment, and experience suffering and pleasure, although they may experience and understand these in diverse ways
Animals are also 'conscious' just like people, that is, they have an awareness of things within themselves and their surroundings
There are different levels of consciousness and some animals have higher levels