Reply #28: Pleasure is probably a factor

[AlienGirl]

Ater all, the lion isn't thinking, "Hm, if I eat these kittens I can knock up their mom and thereby pass on more genes." More likely, he sniffs the kitten, feels something we'd interperet as "anger," and eats them--not out of hunger, but for his emotional motivation.

Same with chimps. Given the similarities between human and chimp brains, I'd wager what they feel during war or during an act of chimp-chimp violence is about the same as what a human feels in the same situation.

Humans don't seem to be the "only species that--" anything; just the one who carries so much to such extremes. And, of course, the only one whose actions we notice, most of the time.

Tucker