10 Most Intelligent Animals You Never Knew About

Animals can be cute or dangerous, tiny or giant, hostile or friendly; but some can be really intelligent too. You have always been considering them simply “animals” and intelligence is an attribute on the basis of which you distinguish animals and human beings. But you’ll feel envious when you’ll know about the fact that some animals are even more intelligent and smarter than human beings. If these animals are properly trained, they can easily adapt to your qualities and become like you, possibly in a better way.

So here are some of the most intelligent animals on our planet Earth.

1. Raccoons

Several studies show that raccoons have immensely intelligent brains with great recall power and can remember solutions for up to 3 years. Also, a recent study shows that they can solve an ancient Greek fable called ‘The Crow & The Pitcher’. In a 1908 bizarre study, raccoons could pick the locks in less than 10 attempts even after the locks were rearranged or flipped upside down. Their broad hearing range even allows them in hearing the sound of earthworms moving underground.

2. Sea Lions

Sea lions possess tremendous intelligence and trainability. They can easily comprehend syntax and commands when taught an artificial sign language. The California Sea Lion is used by US Navy Marine Mammal Program for military applications such as detecting naval mines and enemy divers.

3. Whales

This huge sea creature knows to teach, learn, cooperate and grieve. The neocortex of several whale species has elongated spindle neurons that were found only in hominids.  These cells are responsible for emotions, judgment, theory of mind, and social conduct. The whale’s spindle neurons are found in the brain areas that are homologous to the areas they are found in humans, suggesting that they perform a similar function.

4. Bottlenose Dolphins

Many intelligence tests have been conducted on bottlenose dolphins to examine their mimicry and object identification skills, use of artificial language, and ability to recognize themselves. They can use tools, pass on cultural knowledge across generations and their significant intelligence has led to interaction with humans.

5. Elephants

Elephants demonstrate mirror self-recognition which is an indicator of cognition and self-awareness. Possessing incredible memories, elephants have the ability to recall specific routes to watering holes across great stretches of terrain and over a span of several years. They have been observed to modify branches and use them as fly swatters.

6. Dogs

A dog’s intelligence is its ability to perceive information and retaining it as knowledge for problem-solving. They have been known to learn by inference and have advanced memory skills. They can understand human commands and can read and respond to human body language such as gesturing and pointing. They indicate the theory of mind by getting involved in deception.

7. Pigeons

According to some studies, pigeons can learn abstract mathematical rules and happen to be the only non-humans with this ability (other than rhesus monkey). They can also make really intelligent choices and possess highly evolved pigeon problem-solving skills. They are also known to recognize individual people, most possibly with their facial features.

8. Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives and share 99% DNA with humans. They live in social communities, make tools, and use them for social displays and acquiring food. Their highly evolved hunting strategies involving influence, rank, and cooperation make them manipulative and status-conscious. They have the ability to learn symbols and comprehend aspects of human language such as relational syntax, concepts of number, and numerical sequence.

9. African Grey Parrots

African Grey Parrots are called ‘Einsteins of the parrot world’ because of their high intelligence. According to studies, birds have abstract, inferential reasoning abilities. They seem to possess a certain understanding of causality and use it to reason the world. They also demonstrate their intelligence through their counting abilities and vocalization skills.

10. Rats

As per a study conducted some years ago, scientists have found that just like humans, they can make decisions based on what they know or don’t know. They can dream, have self-awareness, and are sensitive to tickling. The pet rats form strong bonds with their owners. They recognize when they are called by their names and seek time out of their cage to play and interact with their owners.