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The Research Institute of Farm Animal Biology in Dummerstorf, Germany, conducted a test to test the empathy of pigs. When a pig got trapped in the pen, eight times out of ten one of the group opened the door to free it. The likelihood of rescue was higher when the pig showed signs of distress. Pigs would therefore be endowed with empathy and the ability to recognize emotions, write the researchers at bioRxiv. However, a selfish motivation cannot be excluded, for example to find peace of mind or have more companions in the group.