In episode five of “Wild Talk” we ask the question: can animals tell us what they are feeling? The existence of emotions in animals was first suggested by Darwin but it is extremely hard to prove when animals themselves cannot speak to us. Now, though, scientists are recognising that animals maybe do experience emotions and starting to look at the fascinating ways they express them. We reveal how fear can be contagious and how animals have different ways of sounding the alarm when under attack. We also look at the evidence that chimpanzees have special friendships and how they reinforce their emotional bonds through grooming and play. Scientists also explore how rats that giggle when they are experiencing joy and monitor goats that have different bleats when they are happy or sad. Could it be possible these animals are expressing emotions?
