Can animals lie?
Fake news, alternative facts, white lies. Humans are prodigious fibbers, but what about other species? Many animals are unconsciously deceitful, in that they fool others via mimicry and camouflage. Yet purposeful pretence akin to human lying requires a ‘theory of mind’ – an understanding that others’ beliefs and intentions can be different to your own. Studies suggest this capability is unique to humans, but that some animals possess elements of it. Potential cases of intentional deception have been seen in primates, including white-faced capuchins giving false alarm calls (watch a clip on Story of Life, the BBC’s free app that explores the work of David Attenborough) and red-capped mangabeys misleading group mates about the location of food. Meanwhile, a captive chimpanzee has been seen hiding stones from his keepers to throw at visitors later. Are these animals employing theory of mind, or simply learning by association? We’re not sure.