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Home / Series / Animals Like Us / Aired Order / Season 1 / Episode 10

Animal Politics

Man is not the only social animal. In early 2001 Frans de Waal published his work on a group of chimpanzees in the zoo of Arnhem, in the Netherlands. He showed that detailed and subtle rites exist which betray a political organization according to him. This fueled the basis of a much loved argument in today's scientific world, that man is the only "political animal" would not be as defined by Aristotle. Schedules, coalitions and negotiation are all part of the behavior of chimpanzees. Long before man the political domain entered, nature had other species already equipped with an arsenal of political tricks, the most cunning of the most democratic: at amazon ant makes all slavery for centuries part of their society; baboons know the veto; and the deer of the island of Rum have a democracy. Biologists discovered that even in other species to find some characteristics of politicians, to ensure that they realize their ambitions and achieve their goals, are back. Dominance, the covenants, seduction and manipulation are forms of intelligence is no longer a monopoly of man alone. Through this ongoing discoveries about animals communities around the world crumble the boundaries between humans and animals.

English Nederlands español
  • Runtime 50 minutes
  • Content Rating United States of America TV-G
  • Network National Geographic
  • Created August 18, 2013 by
    Administrator admin
  • Modified August 18, 2013 by
    Administrator admin
Name Type Role
Emma Baus Writer
Bertrand Loyer Writer
Emma Baus Director