Cognitive ethology studies the mental processes and intelligence of animals, providing evidence that underpins welfare protections for an ever-expanding range of species.
Cognitive ethology provides the scientific foundation for expanding the moral circle. When research reveals that an animal can plan for the future, understand the minds of others, or recognise itself in a mirror, it becomes harder to dismiss that animal as a mere biological machine whose welfare does not matter. The systematic discovery of cognitive complexity across the animal kingdom — in birds, fish, invertebrates, and cephalopods — continuously strengthens the scientific case for extending welfare protections beyond the species we have traditionally prioritised.