10 Animals With Complex Emotions Just Like Humans

Humans are social beings and complex emotions have always been a part of human evolution but did you ever wonder that some animals are also capable of showing complex emotions just like humans. Well here’s the list of top 10 animals that are capable of showing complex emotions just like humans:


These gentle giants are capable of keeping deep empathic emotions. They can recognize and respond to distress in other herd members by making efforts to help injured or struggling ones. They have unique individual personalities and often form affectionate social bonds within the herds.
Cows often form strong emotional bonds with each other, they have unique and different individual personalities. These creatures have strong maternal bonds and can be distressed when separated from calves or friends and mourn the loss of a herd member by crying, acting withdrawn and seeking comfort. They also demonstrate empathy by sensing and sharing the stress and comfort of others.


Dogs have a wide range of emotions, mimicking that of a 2.5 year old human child. They are highly observant and attuned to human emotions, often showing emotional contagion reacting to human emotions like crying or stress by feeling same distress emotions and changed facial expressions. Dogs are capable to connect with humans on a deep emotional level and are called a man’s best friend for the same reason.


Sharing our evolutionary roots, these animals use rich facial expressions, vocals and gestures just like humans. These animals play fight and laugh like humans do. They mourn for the dead ones, form strong social bonds, show empathy, comfort each other, experience jealousy, rivalry and conflict, showing complex social dynamics.


These creatures are self aware, make smile like expressions when happy. They have higher social understanding and empathy, supporting sick, distressed dolphins and helping other species too. Dolphins also experience grief, emotional distress just like humans, carrying their offspring even after they pass away.


Rats are emotionally intelligent and have a rich internal emotional world, the reason why they are used for various human mental health researches. They experience joy, are social beings and even forget rewards to help others. These creatures have similar brain structure as humans and also have cognitive-emotional links, they tend to anticipate, regret and even feel fear.


Pigs are intelligent and observing beings with excellent memory. Just like cats and dogs, pigs exhibit happiness through playing, tail wagging, forming strong friendships with humans and enjoying affection like belly rubs and scratches. They can experience distress, loneliness and grief when herd members pass away. Pigs also have unique individual personalities just like humans.


Despite being invertebrates octopuses have large and complex brains and are highly intelligent. They are also emotionally complex and remember negative interactions and can act out on it. These creatures show curiosity, play and even distress.


Crows and ravens exhibit playful antics, have empathy and show emotional contagion. They also grieve and collect around deceased members of their species, almost similar to human funeral. They have long term memory and do plan for future, these birds can hold grudge or kindness for humans based on how someone treated them and are also very self aware.


Parrots, especially African grey parrots experience a range of complex emotions like joy, love, grief, anger and jealousy. They form strong monogamous bonds with their owners or mates showing loyalty and have deep sense of empathy. These birds also show their inner feelings and emotions through behavioral changes, indifferent body language and vocalizations.

So this was the list of top 10 animals that show complex emotions like humans, hope you found this article interesting.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

1. Which animal has the most human like emotions?
   
   Elephants and great apes (chimpanzees and bonobos) have the most human-like emotional lives. They form complex social bonds, feel joy, grief and deep empathy just like humans.
2. Which animal acts most like humans?
   
   Chimpanzees and bonobos act most like humans due to our close genetic link. These apes form complex social structures, use tools just like humans, have emotional depth and communicate through facial expressions and hand gestures like humans do.
3. What is the kindest animal to man?
   
   Dogs are known to be the most loyal animal known to man and are able to form deep emotional bonds, while capybaras are the most friendly wild animal known. Dolphins on the other hand are also known to be friendly and helpful to humans.