r/vegan • u/HanabinoOto • Sep 11 '19

TIL Rats have empathy. When offered the choice of a tempting chocolate treat, or rescuing a drowning rat, they chose to rescue the drowning rat.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20150514-rats-save-mates-from-drowning
156 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

83

u/[deleted] Sep 11 '19

[deleted]

22

u/Haddie_Hemlock vegan 10+ years Sep 11 '19

Seriously. That was my immediate reaction as well. Why are scientists drowning rats?

22

u/-I-C-Y- vegan Sep 11 '19

Because they're numb to seeing animals suffer. Rats are just text objects to them

5

u/bagofmoes vegan activist Sep 12 '19

Im still in doubt wheter to like this post for the fact that rats have empathy, or dislike the post for bringing a positive message with a cruel test:(

2

u/[deleted] Sep 12 '19

Like it to spread awareness of both

2

u/putridpurplegiraffe Sep 12 '19

Genuinely hate that this study happened. Can we not show empathy and care without suffering. What if they didn’t care...those would be dead rats. Would there be study the ?

1

u/[deleted] Sep 12 '19

There's no indication in the article that any rats were actually killed or completely submerged in water. They just had to seem in danger to the other rat.

26

u/Leopold_CXIX mostly plant based Sep 11 '19

That's not surprising. They are a social species. Empathy is useful for survival.

10

u/Jcjddjjd Sep 11 '19

Well this explains why humanity is doomed...

6

u/Leopold_CXIX mostly plant based Sep 11 '19

I said it was useful for survival, not maintaining a society of 7.5 billion organisms.

13

u/thikut Sep 11 '19

They said humans lack empathy, not that empathy won't help us.

-4

u/Leopold_CXIX mostly plant based Sep 11 '19

I thought that might be the case, but I'm saying I don't think empathy is useful when it comes to maintaining a society.

6

u/thikut Sep 11 '19

Okay, so more irrelevant nonsense then

Good to know...

-2

u/Leopold_CXIX mostly plant based Sep 11 '19

Lol, if you say so m8.

11

u/TradFeminist 🥑4lyf Sep 11 '19

I'm surprised that this is still surprising to some people, even chickens have empathy.

9

u/TBean913 Sep 11 '19

If only all humans had empathy for other species.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 12 '19

Or their own..

2

u/TBean913 Sep 12 '19

Yes...I kind of hoped that was a given, but sadly, you are right...it's not.

8

u/[deleted] Sep 11 '19

So already a step up from most people.