True Trail Farms LLC

Goats may be more socially aware than they’re often given credit for.

New research in animal cognition found that goats showed prosocial behavior during cooperative tasks, sometimes acting in ways that benefited other goats rather than just themselves. Scientists say these behaviors suggest a level of social complexity that’s still being explored in farm animals.

The findings add to a growing body of research examining how animals raised for agriculture interact, cooperate, and respond to one another.