Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us About Ourselves

The primary message from Mama's Last Hug is that animals have emotions. The author spent many years studying primates and observed the many examples of emotions. He also provided a multitude of examples in other species. Bonobos and Chimpanzees are considered to be nothing like humans. Yet, our difference from them is similar to the difference between animals that we lump together (such as African and Asian elephants.) We should expect them to have many characteristics similar to us. Mama is this book is a chimpanzee matriarch who had developed a bond with her human observer. The animals had a distinct social order and various ways of interacting that showed emotional responses and delayed gratification. A desire for fairness is often very important. Animals often expect a similar award for similar effort. If they expend the effort but get the same reward as another animal that didn't, they will be upset. The author laments that psychologists have separated human from non-human and have not spent time studying the range of animal psychology and comparisons among different species.