The BBC reports that researchers have found that dolphins appear to produce sounds of joy while they are play-fighting, while elephants trumpet in excitement when playing. "Some parrots have been known to tease other animals for fun, for example by whistling at and confusing the family dog," adds the site.
One research associate professor at Northwestern University in the US, says that rats are not immune from having fun... Jeffrey Burgdorf has had the rather fun but bizarre job of tickling rats for a living. He reveals that when the rodents are tickled, they squeak joyfully in a high-pitched noise similar to a giggle.
According to Burgdorf, the rats enjoy it so much that they come back again and again for more. They can even be taught to play hide and seek for a "tickling reward."
The BBC notes that most of the evidence for animals having a sense of humor is predominantly anecdotal, because very few large-scale studies have been conducted. Our furry and feathery friends may, or may not, be comedians undercover.
What we do know is that they can make humans laugh without even trying.
