The Post

Finding out if kea can feel joy

- Jake Kenny

Two New Zealand professors have joined a team of internatio­nal researcher­s to try to answer one burning question – can animals feel emotion?

Experts from Scotland, the United States and New Zealand, including University of Canterbury associate professor Ximena Nelson and the University of Auckland’s Dr Alex Taylor, are taking part in the joyful by nature research project, funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

The Scottish and American researcher­s would focus on dolphins and apes, while Nelson and Taylor would focus on New Zealand’s native kea, the world’s only alpine parrot.

Many Kiwis were familiar with kea as cheeky and destructiv­e but few would realise how remarkably intelligen­t they were, Nelson said.

‘‘Their cognitive ability is similar or better than many primate species, or humans up to age 4.’’

A number of factors in kea behaviour suggest they feel emotion or joy. Their babies are raised by adults in creches, they play and roll around like children, kick stones and dance about and are naturally social creatures. ‘‘They get excited – [their warble] is like laughter.’’

The reason kea play is unclear. A historic lack of predators has been suggested,allowing them ‘‘spare time’’ to do what they liked, which may have initiated their play behaviours.

 ??  ?? Experts have found kea have an excited ‘‘warble’’ call, and they play, kick stones and dance about.
Experts have found kea have an excited ‘‘warble’’ call, and they play, kick stones and dance about.

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