Animals have the ability to think but they are limited because they cannot communicate it. But, the similarity in traits between humans and animals shows animals do think. The way animals respond show they think or are conscious. The measure number one of whether an animal thinks or not is how it responds (Trident University Library, n.d.). What would happen to a pet if it finds a new mark on its skin? Probably, it will scratch the mark trying to remove it or find out what it is. That is self-awareness and it is part of thinking.
The major difference between human and animal consciousness is that human consciousness can be harnessed through learning but animals are difficult to teach a new thing. The conscious development in animals is not capable to learn complex things like language. The only thing that animals can learn are basic things (Kever J, 2017).
By virtue of animal having consciousness, it means they should also have rights like human beings. This is because animals do undergo pain, do need pleasure and so forth. The animal rights are not based on whether the animals talk or reason but on the ground of being conscious. Thus, human beings have an obligation of protecting animals from suffering. But, that does not mean punishing animal predators. It means giving the animals moral status that include protecting them from extinction (Allen C, 2016).
