39 Images That Prove That Animals Are Just Like Us

Teaching our young, forming lasting friendships, snuggling, and solving problems: As these images show, other animals are just like us.

1. We take funny selfies:

2. We know that a little affection goes a long way:

3. We comfort each other:

4. We’re brave:

5. We have unique abilities:

6. We want to know what’s for dinner:

7. We don’t want it to be us:

8. We smile when we’re happy:

9. We cry when we’re sad or in pain:

10. We create beautiful works of art:

11. We get by with a little help from our friends:

12. We don’t want to be caged:

13. We feel pain:

14. We put ourselves in harm’s way to save others:

15. We don’t want to get out of bed:

16. We express our emotions:

17. We work hard:

18. We’re curious:

19. We love feeling the sun on our faces:

20. We don’t want to let our little ones out of our sight:

21. We get lonely:

22. We’re ourselves with our best friends:

23. We have bad hair days:

24. We teach our young everything we know:

25. We won’t let a perceived disability hold us back:

26. We cooperate:

27. We’ll fight for our lives:

28. We’ll fight for our friends’ lives:

29. We love a warm blanket on a cold day:

30. We intend to exercise … but fall asleep instead:

31. We love our families:

32. We’re inquisitive:

33. We jump for joy:

34. We get scared:

35. We snuggle our babies:

36. We enjoy a nice bath:

37. We’re beautiful:

38. We persevere:

39. We want to be treated with kindness:

Humans aren’t special. Other animals learn languages, enjoy complex social bonds, sacrifice pleasure for the good of others, use tools, imagine, and dream. These individuals are more complex than many humans care to acknowledge. We all remember information, play with friends, enjoy intimacy, gossip, and mourn when loved ones die. Some other animals have capabilities that far exceed those of humans—in navigation, endurance, communication, and detection of natural phenomena, for instance.

Most importantly, we all want the same things: to be free and live in peace. It’s time for humans to stop denying others these rights.