From James Fenton
The sidebar “Inside the mind of a cow” in the article on animal welfare states that “most species only seem capable of thinking in the present” (23 September, p 7). But what about memory, which is certainly a characteristic of many animals?
For example, my dog once buried a bone and found it again when we next passed the site three months later. Even if he had forgotten about it, and I had said the word “bone” to him, this would probably have jogged his memory enough to go and look for it. This is surely “thinking in the past”. And what about squirrels and jays which have to remember numerous burial sites?
From Rosemary Sharples
The mere fact that a pet can be trained, and recognise its owner, proves that it can think about the past.
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Penshurst, New South Wales, Australia
Keith Kendrick of the Babraham Institute, Cambridge, responds:
• All animals have good or even amazing memories for places, individuals and things that are of value to them and their survival. This doesn’t mean they have the same developed concept of time as we do. Animals have only limited volitional control over calling up memories or planning a long way ahead. They are mainly restricted to events in the present triggering memories which then control their behaviour. So while they are mainly locked in the present, they can still have very effective memory skills.
Farr, Inverness, UK
