[TASMANIANRED]

“Animals in the wild display basic morality, ethics and compassion. They show empathy. They show love. They are communal. They punish members of the group who don’t obey the “code.” Behavior that supports sustainability of oneself and the group (as a support system— the tight-rope walker loves the idea of a safety net and doesn’t need a book to tell her so) is logical and rational. The Golden Rule isn’t really a Christian idea at all.”

From a huge animal lover and a believer that my dogs are better than 50% of humanity...

Sophistry.

There is no morality in the wild.. There is survival of the fittest in the wild..

They behave in a fashion that promotes survival of their genetics. In herd animals, the sick, the old, the injured will be pushed to the outside of the herd so they are eaten first.

In family groups, as in wolves and lions..It is routine for challenges to pack leader to result in death (fairly human) but that is followed by the slaughter of the young of the former leader so the females can come into heat again.

Your definition of morals and ethics defy anything that I recognize.

Not arguing religion here..Just biology.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Dogs can exhibit unconditional love, consuming devotion as spouses have for each other and parents to their children. Elephants exhibit anguish when they come across a dead elephant. Some "mother" animals suffer emotionally when their "child" is killed by a predator. Mother dolphins discipline their baby dolphins. Chimpanzees evict bad seeds from the community.

Honor Among Beasts

You can also check out: Moral Minds: How Nature Designed Our Universal Sense of Right and Wrong on the subject of "natural" ethics/morality.