12. How Do Animals Show Their Love?

Humans believe they know what love is, and value it highly, Yet many who study animal behavior are 1）_____ about saying animals experience love, preferring to say they are not 2）____ “true love”, but simply following the dictates of their genes.

Is it really as simple as all that? What about the animals who stay together until one dies? Evolutionary biologists often say that pairing is a way to ensure 3）____ parental care, but it’s not always clear this is the case Some animals continue to 4）____ each other when not raising young. And they appear to 5____sorrow or show a sense of loss when one of the pair dies.

Animals may fall in love 6）____. According to Lorenztwo geese are most likely to “fall in love” when they have known each other as youngsters, been 7）____ and then meet again. He 8）____ this to a man who meets a woman and—9）____ that she is the same girl he used to see running around in a school uniform---falls in love and marries her. According to parrot specialist Sue Athan, it is 10）_____ for some parrots to fall in love at first sight.