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Capture animal feelings

Photograph or draw animal behaviours and discuss how animals might feel in each situation. This activity offers a taster for the fascinating study of animal behaviour.

Last edited: 16/10/2024

Before you get started

Why this is important

To inspire people to protect animals, they first need to feel an emotional connection. Images that evoke empathy can remind us that animals share our ability to feel joy, pleasure, pain, and distress. When people recognise animals as sentient beings, they’re more likely to feel motivated to care for them with kindness, compassion, and respect.

Supporting documents

Duke of Edinburgh Worksheet [3 hours]
Photographing wildlife tips
Photographing pets tips
Photographing farm animal tips

Instructions

Capturing the nature of an animal

Getting your image

Choose any animal - whether a pet, farm animal, or a wild animal.

Spend some time observing their behaviour and try to capture the moment.  

You can do this by taking a photograph or drawing what you see.

Describe the behaviour

Animal behaviour experts create something called an ‘ethogram’ to describe and track an animal’s behaviour in their studies.

The image to the right could be described as a 'conspecific interaction' where 'two or more puffins are in contact with each other with any part of their body'.

Have a go at describing the behaviour you have captured.