I expect it depends on the animal and their historic (as well as personal) exposure to fire.
For example, some Australian raptors understand how fire spreads and how to use it to their advantage pretty well, I’d say! https://blog.nature.org/2018/01/12/australian-firehawk-raptors-intentionally-spread-wildfires/
A 2009 study suggests that chimpanzees understand fairly well how fire spreads and can plan to avoid it https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091222105312.htm
Forest animals certainly seem to know they need to flee fire.
But like, do dolphins understand fire? Honestly probably not; how would they have developed this knowledge?
K, now Dolphins and fire have come up twice for me today, imma need to examine this further i the future lmao
I think it’s just a good example of an intelligent animal who’s not likely to know jack about fire, LOL. I couldn’t find anyone even trying to study if dolphins understand fire in a cursory search, but LMK if you do find anything, as I am actually curious now.
Cats dont care. They’ll actively try to touch it.
Will they? Thats not my experience; mine are indifferant
Guess it depends on their personalities. Mine ignore their reflections, but love the gentle flicker of a dancing flame.
These guys definitely do. Firehawks piking up embers and carrying them over streams and roads to continue the fire on the other side. The fire spooks prey animals that the hawks then easily catch.
They understand fire gives off a lot of heat and smoke burns their eyes, so yeah I think they get it.
Dolphins understand it better than we do, and they know it’s rather dangerous. That’s why you don’t see fire undersea.
…okay, I’m joking. But serious now: I think some individual animals understand that the bright thing is hot, and if you get too close you’ll get hurt. But that’s from their individual experiences, not something instinctive; otherwise they’d avoid things that look like fire, such as Christmas lamps.
