Do Animals have Conscious Thought?

April 19, 2024, an international group of biologists and philosophers signed the landmark New York Declaration, which declares that animals are conscious.

The paper suggests consciousness in birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, as well as in many invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans and cephalopods.

The New York Declaration is based on recent discoveries that animals are considered intelligent. For example, scientists have discovered that many animals pass the “mirror test,” that is, they are able to recognize themselves in the mirror. The champions, chimpanzees and dolphins, were the first to pass this test. Dogs, cats and horses show good results.

Other experiments have proven that a wide variety of animals show curiosity, know how to play games, and are able to remember what they see and smell.

The Declaration essentially calls for recognizing the basic rights of animals and enshrining them in law.