Animal Image Individuation: Towards a Cinematic Ethology
Exploring how animals construct their worlds through unique perceptual experiences understood as "living images"
When Life Becomes Cinema
Imagine the natural world as a colossal cinematic production, where each animal is simultaneously actor, camera, and spectator of its own reality. This is not an empty poetic metaphor, but the foundation of a revolutionary scientific perspective that is transforming how we understand animal life.
In the context of the current ecological situation, marked by the sign of the Anthropocene, this approach acquires political and aesthetic urgency1 . It invites us to radically rethink our relationships with the other species with which we share the planet, not as mere objects of study, but as beings whose subjective experiences deserve recognition and respect.
Animal as Spectator
Each animal perceives and interprets its environment through unique sensory filters, creating a personalized "viewing experience" of reality.
Animal as Camera
The animal's sensory apparatus functions as a biological camera, capturing and processing environmental information in species-specific ways.
Theoretical Foundations: Umwelt and the Imaginal Texture of the World
The Bubble World of Jacob von Uexküll
The conceptual starting point of cinematic ethology dates back to the innovative ideas of biologist Jacob von Uexküll and his theory of Umwelt or "surrounding world". Uexküll proposed that each animal lives within a kind of perceptual bubble that composes its field of experience.
Key Concept: Umwelt
The Umwelt represents the subjective, self-centered world of an organism, comprising all the environmental features it can perceive and respond to.
This concept highlights that different species inhabit fundamentally different sensory realities, even when sharing the same physical space.
Philosophy Meets Biology
Philosopher Gilles Deleuze glimpsed a decisive connection between ethology and cinema, suggesting that we can approach animal life as one enters a movie theater, where the biosphere presents itself as a colossal film, a great montage of interactions1 .
| Species | Primary Perceptual Signals | Characteristics of the Lived World |
|---|---|---|
| Tick | Olfactory (butyric acid), thermal | World reduced to chemical and temperature signals |
| Hermit Crab | Visual (simple shapes) | Extremely simple spatial scheme |
| Dragonfly | Visual, tactile | Objects with "sitting tone" that identifies them |
| Bee | Visual (light polarization), movement | Ability to count, recognize faces, use tools4 |
| Asian Elephant | Visual (mirror recognition), tactile, sound | Self-recognition, complex behaviors2 |
A Crucial Experiment: Chimpanzees and the Drone
Observation Methodology
One of the most eloquent examples of animal behavior that seems taken from a cinematic script occurred at the Royal Burgers Zoo in Holland2 . Keepers were using a drone to monitor animals in the facilities when a group of chimpanzees showed an extraordinary behavioral response.
Six chimpanzees, led by a female, began preparing to intercept the flying device. They collected sticks and sat strategically, waiting for the precise moment to act. Most surprisingly, these same chimpanzees completely ignored birds flying over their enclosure, demonstrating that their reaction was not against any flying object, but specifically against the drone they perceived as a nuisance or intruder.
Results Analysis
This incident, observed and documented by renowned ethologist Frans de Waal, reveals several sophisticated cognitive abilities:
- Anticipatory planning: Preparation for future action
- Perceptual discrimination: Recognition of artificial vs. natural
- Group cooperation: Implicit communication and roles
- Creative tool use: Effective application of strategy
| Observed Behavior | Cognitive Ability Demonstrated | Scientific Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Collection of sticks | Tool use | Planning for future action |
| Strategic waiting | Patience and calculation | Ability to inhibit immediate response |
| Ignoring natural birds | Perceptual discrimination | Recognition of artificial vs. natural |
| Group coordination | Cooperative social behavior | Implicit communication and roles |
| Success in knocking down drone | Problem solving | Effective application of strategy |
Expert Insight
Primatologist Frans de Waal emphasizes that in nature chimpanzees are very skilled at planning ahead and use tools in their missions, but observing this behavior in a novel context against modern technology suggests a remarkable generalization capacity2 .
The Cinematic Ethologist's Toolkit
Research in cinematic ethology requires innovative methodological approaches that overcome the limitations of traditional observation. As Frans de Waal points out, to truly understand animal intelligence, it is necessary to find appropriate examinations for each species, as each has different ways of solving problems and interacting with its environment2 .
Deep Learning
Automatic analysis of behavioral patterns in extensive visual and sound records
Non-invasive Sensors
Monitoring physiological responses like heart rate and temperature
High-resolution Cameras
Detailed capture of expressions and movements for microexpression study
| Tool/Method | Main Function | Specific Application |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Learning | Automatic analysis of behavioral patterns | Classification of behaviors in extensive videos |
| Non-invasive Sensors | Monitoring of physiological responses | Recording of heart rate, temperature |
| High-resolution Cameras | Detailed capture of expressions and movements | Study of facial microexpressions in primates |
| GPS Tracking Systems | Tracking of movement patterns | Maps of territories and movement routines |
| Mirror Test | Evaluation of self-awareness | Study with elephants, dolphins, apes2 |
| Environmental Enrichment | Stimulation of natural behaviors | Study of the 80-20 theory of animal welfare7 |
Research Challenges
These methodologies face important challenges. The installation of sensors can induce stress and alter natural behaviors; the labeling of large datasets is economically costly; and the implementation of algorithms on mobile devices faces storage and battery limitations5 . Overcoming these barriers requires creative solutions and an ethical commitment to animal welfare.
New Evidence and Future Directions
The Question of Animal Consciousness
Recent evidence marks a "radical change" in what we know about animal behavior and consciousness4 . Scientists like Professor Lars Chittka from Queen Mary University of London have demonstrated that bees can count, recognize human faces and learn to use tools. They have even been observed to appear to enjoy rolling small wooden balls, an activity resembling play4 .
These findings have led to the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness, signed by 286 researchers, which states that it is "irresponsible" to ignore the possibility of animal consciousness4 . This declaration represents a paradigmatic shift in behavioral science, moving away from the behaviorism that dominated the 20th century and toward a recognition of the richness of animal subjective experiences.
Early 20th Century
Behaviorism dominates animal studies, focusing only on observable behaviors
1970s-1980s
First evidence of animal self-awareness through mirror tests
2000s
Growing evidence of complex cognitive abilities across species
Present
New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness recognizes widespread animal sentience
The 80-20 Theory of Animal Welfare
From neuroscience, Genaro A. Coria-Avila and Deissy Herrera-Covarrubias propose an innovative theory of animal welfare based on specific proportions between desire and reward7 . According to their model, welfare occurs when the proportion of wanting something and obtaining it is 80-20%, respectively.
This theory is based on Panksepp's circumplex of emotions, where emotions that signal potential increases in physical fitness create a vector of positive feelings with high activation (desire, euphoria), while obtaining the reward generates positive feelings with low activation (satiety, relaxation)7 . This neuroscientific perspective reinforces the idea that animals are not mere biological automata, but beings with rich and complex emotional lives.
Towards More Intelligent Coexistence Between Worlds
Cinematic ethology is not simply a specialized academic field, but a powerful lens through which we can reimagine our relationship with the natural world. By conceptualizing animals as living images that inhabit unique sensory universes, this perspective invites us to cultivate what we might call "cinematic empathy" - the ability to appreciate, even partially, the imaginal texture of experiences radically different from our own.
In the context of the current ecological crisis, this approach offers not only new forms of knowledge, but also new ethical and aesthetic possibilities for establishing "more intelligent coexistences between surrounding worlds"1 . By learning to see animals not as mere objects, but as beings with their own internal films, we take the first step toward a future where the diversity of experiences is not simply tolerated, but celebrated in all its dazzling variety.
Ethical Implications
Recognition of animal subjectivity demands reconsideration of our moral responsibilities
Ecological Applications
Understanding animal Umwelten can inform more effective conservation strategies
Cross-species Understanding
Cinematic ethology bridges human and animal experiences through shared imaginal frameworks