There are many types of symbolic judgements. For example, when an Israeli pilot flattens the home of a Palestinian family (even if they are forewarned), it is natural for them to experience shock at having lost their home, even if it is made of sticks and stones. In a like manner, when I destroy the beginning construction of a wasp nest in my backyard, it is very natural for the builder, the Queen, to be in a state of ‘disbelief’ after returning to the destruction, as she rapidly makes associations as to what may have happened. Once the Queen decides that I was the perpetrator, she will lock onto me (and not my neighbor) to deliver her stings with no regrets (Miller, Sheehan et al. 2019). That animals (such as monkeys) cannot make associations to judge events ‘symbolically’ (e.g., see van Kerkoerle, Vanduffel et al. 2024) is nonsense. Humans continue to convince themselves that they are a superior species vis-à-vis symbolic cognition (e.g., Harari 2015), while their planet collapses beneath their feet (Hansen et al. 1981).
Despite the fact that there is NOT a single term for terrorism as far as the action is concerned, the severe majority agrees that the purpose or a terrorist action is to create the emotion of fear (terror) in the "target audience". On the contrary, almost every animal (besides human) behaviour is based on the instict of survival, either passively (e.g. self-defence against threats) or actively (e.g. hunt for food). Thus, there is a big difference between human an (other than human) animal behaviour regarding terrorism, as the latter has no intention of creating the emotion of fear (terror).
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