“As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will always be battlefields”

– Leo Tolstoy

I am always pleased to see animal consciousness being discussed. I find it endlessly fascinating. Having a decent amount of knowledge on the subject, I was previously aware of most of the examples provided by the text. There is a vast amount of evidence to suggest that many animals are sentient, some of which the majority of us would never have given a second thought: from birds using bait to catching fish, to crocodiles using bait to catch birds, to ants recognizing their own reflections; I find it ridiculous to think that humans are the only conscious or intelligent beings. Yes, ants have, interestingly, passed the mirror test, as have a few fish. Monkeys, on the other hand, have not. This brings into question how reliable the mirror test is at determining whether an animal is self-aware. Monkeys are commonly known to be rather intelligent animals, but perhaps it is because their particular type of intelligence is similar to our own that we are able to recognize it. Most people would not regard ants as intelligent, or aware of themselves as individuals, but clearly they are conscious on some level. I posit that living within a large colony may necessitate the development of, if not individuality, the sense of oneself as an individual, so that a colony member might be better able to decide how to serve the collective in a given moment. Cleaner wrasses, fishes which are documented to have passed the mirror test as well, appear to have a consciousness that is closer to our own, one far too nuanced to be discuss here in full. They display complex relationships with “client fishes” those that are cleaned by the wrasse, different wrasses having a different set of “regulars” with whom they have different individual relationships. Another discrepancy to consider in regards to the mirror test is the reliance of many animals on senses other than sight. Dogs, for example, interpret the world primarily through their olfactory senses. Therefore, it may not be fair to determine their level of consciousness with a sight based test. Different kinds of intelligence and, by extension, consciousness develop to serve different purposes. Our brains are likely capable of things that those of other animals are not, while the opposite is likely true as well. Many animals probably experience the world differently than we do, despite being no less conscious. To me, animal consciousness is not only a subject of much interest but also of moral importance. I am largely vegetarian for this reason, although that isn’t to say that I believe the consumption of meat to be inherently wrong; it is a natural part of our diet, after all. I do believe that meat, when consumed, should be eaten mindfully and with respect. Our attitude towards food, particularly in this country, is rather careless. We do not often think about where it comes from, who it comes from, or of the nonhuman lives and families we affect with our dietary choices. When I see an animal I tend to wonder about the life they have lived, where they’ve been, what they’ve seen, what I might learn from them if only I could listen. I hope that as research on animal behavior continues to shed light of the countless lives we share this planet with, more people are able to develop a greater sense of care and respect for those lives.