WE TAKE it for granted that intelligent animals such as primates deserve stringent protection when used in experiments. But have we been neglecting some of the smartest animals of all?
Cephalopods display many mental skills that rival the cleverest mammals. They solve problems, are masters of disguise and can even use rudimentary tools, all with a brain that diverged from ours more than half a billion years ago (see ” Eight arms, big brain: What makes cephalopods clever”).
That makes them fascinating and useful research subjects, yet their welfare has often been ignored. Although a handful of countries protect them, a recent European Union directive is the first blanket law to offer them the same protection as the lab rat.
This is an important first step, but many more are necessary. For example, we don’t yet understand how cephalopods experience pain, so well-meaning legislation on using anaesthetics is hard to implement.
Cephalopods may not be as emotionally appealing as our closer relatives, but their intelligence shows that we need to take the protection of their beautiful minds more seriously.