AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

NT Bureau
Chennai, Jan 9:

        'Even animals have their own language, culture and feelings, which they like to share with humans. Like us animals are pleasure-seekers, enjoying food, sex, touch and it is the need of hour to care and change our attitude towards them,' said Jonathan Balcombe, an animal research scientist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington D.C..

        He is in Chennai to promote his book Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good, and lecture at various medical and veterinary schools.

        Speaking to journalists here yesterday, he said human beings' treatment of animals must change dramatically in the light of new discoveries about their physical and emotional sensitivities.

        Talking on the sidelines after the release of his book that contains a large facts and figures found during his 4 years of research study, he said 'until recently, scientific dogma rejected animal consciousness and emotions but now we know better.'

        Elucidating some examples from the lab studies conducted, he said recent studies have shown that mice empathise with familiar mice that are suffering, that pigeons navigate using human roads and that rats accustomed to be tickled will come running for more, making high-pitched chirps linked to the origins of human laughter.

        He said despite this, humans continue to kill tens of billions of animals and the toll is rising. More scientific studies are still continuing in large scale when there are others methods to conduct studies. He said there are 16,000 illegal slaughter houses and 30 to 40 billion animals are killed around in various countries.

        'Animal experiment, meat production and all forms of harming animals for entertainment are blatantly unethical. Suffering is indivisible. Animals' pain and pleasure are akin to yours and mine, and their will to live is just as strong,' Jonathan remarked.

        He stressed the need to recognise the value of animal life and improve the quality of life. India with a rich tradition, culture and religion always had an important place for animals and hence India has a key role in transforming our relationship with other animals.

        Jonathan would be travelling across the country and would deliver lectures in 14 Indian medical and veterinary schools this month.