Study uncovers animal moods

A FRAMEWORK to understand the emotional lives of animals has been revealed.

Professor Mike Mendl and Dr Liz Paul, from the University of Bristol, and Dr Oliver Burman, from the University of Lincoln, looked through papers by experts such as Charles Darwin to create the framework which can be used in the field of animal welfare.

Researchers said an animal living in an environment where it is regularly threatened by predators will develop a negative emotion or mood such as anxiety. Conversely, an environment with plenty of opportunities for survival resources creates a more positive mood state.