While humans believe they are the pinnacle of intelligence, many animal species also display remarkable problem-solving skills, emotional intelligence, and even self-awareness.
We often take pride in our superior intelligence compared to other animals, considering ourselves the “dominators” of the Earth’s creatures.
However, the reality is that some animals possess cognitive abilities and intelligence that astonish researchers. Let’s explore 11 animals with incredible intelligence.
1. Raccoons Can Open Complex Locks
North American Raccoon. (Photo: iStock)
In a peculiar study in 1908 by behaviorist HB David, raccoons, native mammals of North America, could open complex locks in fewer than 10 attempts, even when the locks were rearranged or turned upside down.
Numerous studies conducted from the 1960s to the 1990s revealed that raccoons have perfect memory, capable of recalling solutions to tasks for up to three years.
Additionally, raccoons possess extraordinary hearing; they can actually hear earthworms moving underground.
2. Crows Excel at Physics
Crows use traffic to crack nuts. (Photo: iStock)
Crows can not only recognize faces to distinguish between predators and benign species, but they also understand basic physics, demonstrated by their behavior of dropping pebbles into a tall, narrow container to raise the water level and drink – a real-life version of the famous fable “The Clever Crow.”
In various experiments, crows have shown the ability to manufacture complex tools from 3-4 components for a clear purpose.
Moreover, urban crows cleverly utilize traffic to their advantage. They place fruit seeds on the road for cars to break the hard shells. Then, they stand at the crosswalk, patiently waiting for the traffic light to change. Once vehicles stop, they approach the cracked seeds and collect their reward.
In some U.S. cities, crows can even remember garbage collection schedules to scavenge for food on trash days.
3. Pigs Can Distinguish Mirror Reflections
(Photo: iStock)
Among the smartest animals globally, piglets surprised researchers by distinguishing their reflections in mirrors within just a few hours.
Researchers placed a mirror in the pig pen and allowed the pigs a few hours to familiarize themselves with this new toy. They then moved the mirror to reflect the feed trough on the other side of the fence. In approximately 23 seconds, 7 out of 8 six-week-old pigs figured out to go around the fence to reach the feed trough.
4. Octopuses Are Terrifyingly Intelligent
(Photo: iStock)
Octopuses are among the most intelligent creatures in the ocean.
Research indicates that the octopus’s brain has lobes similar to those of vertebrates. They possess excellent memory and can even deduce the paths they need to take.
They are true escape artists of the sea, capable of unscrewing jar lids when trapped inside, compressing their bulky bodies through tiny openings to escape confinement.
Otto, an octopus raised in an aquarium in Germany, even learned to throw stones at the glass and squirt water at overhead lights to short-circuit the bright lamps that bothered him.
5. Squirrels Use Deception
(Photo: iStock)
According to a study by Princeton University, gray squirrels can remember where they buried thousands of nuts for months. These clever squirrels even use tricks to deceive their food stalkers.
In a 2010 study, squirrels, when aware they were being watched, pretended to dig holes to bury nuts and cover them with dirt. In reality, they hid the nuts under their armpits or in their mouths until they found a more discreet hiding place for their food.
6. Dolphins Can Cheat
(Photo: iStock)
Dolphins are often regarded as the second most intelligent animals on Earth, after humans, due to their relatively large brain size, ability to express emotions, and impressive mimicry.
They can use tools in nature and can learn sequences of behaviors as requested by humans.
Kelly, a dolphin at the Marine Mammal Research Institute in Mississippi, even figured out how to cheat the system to get more food.
Trained to pick up trash in the pool in exchange for food, Kelly often collects trash and tears it into smaller pieces to receive additional rewards.
Not only that, she also learned to trap seagulls with her food and present them to her trainer to get more fish.
7. Bees Can Think and Make Collective Decisions
(Photo: Getty)
Experiments and observations show that honeybees truly possess the ability to think. They must perform numerous tasks requiring intelligence, such as finding good nectar sources and routes, and then sharing this information with other bees in the hive.
In the early 20th century, Austrian behavioral biologist Karl von Frisch discovered that honeybees use a type of “waggle dance” to communicate and convey messages about food sources as well as to vote collectively on relocating their hive.
8. Elephants Call Each Other by Name
(Photo: Getty)
Besides humans, elephants are the only mammals known to call each other by name, indicating their capacity for abstract thinking.
A study conducted from 1986 to 2022 showed that elephants use distinct sounds to name each other, and they respond when called by name.
Elephants are also among the very few animals capable of self-awareness, recognizing their reflections in mirrors.
These large creatures know how to use tools to pick fruits or scratch themselves. They have a culture of mourning, grieving when a fellow elephant dies, attempting to bury their dead, covering the body with branches, and frequently visiting the deceased. They also endure significant psychological trauma when witnessing the death of friends.
9. Chimpanzees Have Better Short-term Memory Than Humans
Chimpanzees astonished researchers with their ability to “outperform humans.” (Source: AP)
Chimpanzees share 98% of their genetic makeup with humans. They know how to create and use tools, hunt in organized groups, and possess their own customs, empathy, altruism, and self-awareness.
In a test of memory involving numbers conducted by Japanese researchers with three five-year-old chimpanzees and a group of students, the chimpanzees displayed extraordinary memory, far exceeding that of humans.
In particular, the chimpanzee Ayumu outperformed all the participating students, becoming the fastest memorizer.
10. Parrots Are Good at Logic
(Photo: Getty)
African Grey parrots are famous for their ability to repeat words and phrases after hearing them just once or twice, but their intelligence is much more impressive than mere mimicry.
In a 2019 study, researchers had an African Grey parrot perform a classic test often used to measure logic and reasoning in children.
The parrot was given two cups; one cup contained a hidden treat, while the other was empty. When asked to choose, the parrot logically deduced and selected the cup with the reward.
As researchers increased the complexity of the test with more cups, the parrot continued to correctly choose the cup with food. Throughout the tests, the African Grey parrot performed better than most five-year-old children.
11. Dogs Understand Over 1,000 Words and Can Recognize Bad People
(Photo: iStock)
Science has proven that dogs are not only “man’s best friend” due to their loyalty but also because they are extremely intelligent.
According to Professor Stanley Coren, an American animal psychologist and dog expert, an average dog can understand about 165 words and can count up to 5, which is comparable to a 2 to 2.5-year-old child. However, in basic arithmetic, they outperform a 4-year-old child by being able to identify errors in simple calculations.
More direct evidence of dogs’ cognitive abilities was presented in 2011 when psychologists in South Carolina (USA) documented that after 3 years of intensive training, a Border Collie named Chaser had learned the names of over 1,000 objects.
With their special abilities, dogs are trained to perform various tasks, from guiding the visually impaired to detecting medical conditions through smell.
One of the remarkable abilities of dogs is their capacity to recognize bad individuals. They can sense the emotions of others, and not only can they identify facial expressions, but they can also infer a person’s level of trustworthiness.
The list of the most intelligent animals in the world is certainly longer than the numbers listed above. Other species with extraordinary intellectual abilities include rats, cats, otters, pigeons, and even chickens.
Ranking intelligence among different species is relatively subjective, as each animal has different strengths in skills suited to their ecological niche. What is considered a sign of intelligence in one species may not be relevant or necessary for another.
