Animal Minds
A series of interlinked online videos on the inner lives of the most common farm animals.
What is it like to live as a huge but sensitive ox? Why do pigs crave vegetation and water? Will an old chicken learn new tricks? The series will take you on a journey to the surprising skills and emotions of cattle, pigs, and chickens. The narrative is based on up-to-date science. All the events have been filmed in real life. The Tuulispää Animal Sanctuary in Finland was selected as the location so we could film animals in a semi-natural environment instead of commercial farms. Thanks to the space and surroundings making it possible, varied behavior and nuanced communication flourish in front of the cameras.
The series is produced in collaboration with the multiple-award-winning British documentary filmmaker Amanda Feldon and the Tuulispää Animal Sanctuary.
The production is partly funded by the Committee for Public Information of the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland and by the Finnish Association of Science Editors and Journalists.
After 10 minutes of training, this 5-year-old, previously untrained chicken knows how to answer correctly the question, Which of these pictures of roosters is purple?
A big puppy coming for a scratch. One of the calves at Tuulispää Animal Sanctuary interacting with Piia Anttonen, the founder and head of the sanctuary.