Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves (Poslednee Obyatie Mamy)

Do animals experience pride, shame, guilt, or disgust, like us humans? Do they have a sense of justice and gratitude? Can dogs laugh and grieve, can elephants console each other, and can monkeys envy, scheme, and plot revenge? Do fish feel pain, and can birds love? What do alpha male chimpanzees and modern politicians have in common? In this warm and thoughtful book, in addition to the touching story of a chimpanzee named Mama, renowned primatologist Frans de Waal recounts his numerous observations and experiments studying the emotions of a wide variety of animals. Along with anger and hatred, which can even lead to the deliberate killing of their own kind, animals exhibit a remarkable capacity for compassion, reconciliation, and forgiveness. They, like us, are capable of empathy, mutual assistance, and close social interaction.