ORF-E
German
1 x 52 min
Worldwide

Humans put themselves at the forefront of evolution. But now psychologists and biologists are finding out that animals are also intelligent beings. The animal kingdom is teeming with amazing abilities, rational actions and compassionate quadrupeds. Yet many people still see animals as unfeeling and dumb. Not least because we cannibalize them for meat production in places that resemble factories. But animals are often more similar to humans than we might like. They use tools, have language and sometimes even develop their own culture. Is this putting pressure on our current relationship with them? Philosophers see the lines between humans and the animal kingdom becoming increasingly blurred. Whether it’s ravens that plan ahead for the future, master simple mathematics and have the power of speech. Or cooperating wolves, dexterous monkeys, and pigs that recognize their caregivers and live in complex social structures – if humans really want to set themselves apart from animals, they will soon have to change their attitude towards them.