"Research shows that cows enjoying solving problems. In an experiment led by Donald M. Broom, professor of animal welfare at Cambridge University, young dairy cows appeared to be excited when they successfully learned how to unlatch a gate to obtain food. Their heart rates accelerated and their behavior became more animated. Some of the cows even jumped! Professor Broom and his colleagues described it as a 'eureka' moment for the cows. The group that received the food without unlatching the gate did not show these changes in their beheavior or heart rates.
"These findings indicate that it is possible that cows have an emotional reaction to their own learning and achievement. This is particularly significant because it indicates that they have self-awareness, one of the key components of consciousness." (Amy Hatkoff, The Inner World of Farm Animals [Steward, Tabori & Chang, New York, 2009], p. 62.)
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