Discover The Most Intelligent Animals In The World

Let us explore together the magical animal kingdom and discover some of the most intelligent creatures in the world. You will surely be amazed!

There's a lot of discussion about the intelligence of various animals and the fact that just because animals can't understand us, just as we sometimes can't understand them, doesn't mean they aren't intelligent living creatures. We will take you on a journey and introduce you to the most intelligent animals.

Animals possess a different kind of intelligence, one that has been underestimated because of our notions of complex language and technology, according to The Epoch Times.

For example, gibbons can make a wide range of sounds - over 20, each with a different meaning - to communicate, whales use a complex system of sounds that can be heard over distances of hundreds of kilometers, and dolphins communicate with each other using different whistle-like sounds, with their own language that humans have long tried to translate.

We propose to discuss a series of mammals, birds, and invertebrates that have demonstrated their intelligence, without ranking them, because they all have their well-deserved place on the Planet.

Primates Are Among The World's Most Intelligent Animals

Primates live in very large communities and have very close relationships with each other, which could be the key to a highly advanced cognitive system. They raise their young together, have social hierarchies, and females stay with their young for many years, raising them to survive.

A lot of research has been done on these fascinating animals. Researchers have also noted that monkeys have self-awareness, are able to solve problems, and communicate through language.

The chimpanzee has been said to be the most intelligent animal in the world, being one of the few animals that know how to use tools. It uses small, sharp twigs to pull insects out of small holes inside trees, uses tree branches to lure prey, uses rocks to crack nuts and the list goes on.

In captivity, it is able to quickly learn to use new tools, recognize objects and solve various problems. They are "thinking" animals that can learn sign language to communicate with humans.

The Gigantic Elephants

Elephants are definitely among the most intelligent animals on the planet.

Elephants have brains that are larger than any other animals. Their brains are also very heavy, weighing over 5 kilograms. Other large animals, such as rhinoceroses and hippos, although heavy mammals have tiny brains. What's more, the cortex of the elephant brain has more neurons than the human brain.

Their ability to learn is just formidable! Elephants can use various tools in creative ways without being taught by others.

Elephants live in herds and are very affectionate and caring towards members of their own species or even other species, showing an advanced form of intelligence.

Elephants have been known to know which herbs to eat when they are sick and are the only ones in the animal world to bury their dead. But the most surprising moment was when humans saw that elephants also cry.

There are many stories about their intelligence, such as the one where the elephant uses leaves like a fan. You've surely heard of the expression "elephant memory", and its origin comes precisely from the fact that elephants have an exceptional memory. In the wild, it is able to remember every path it takes and every place it can find water.

A captive-bred elephant can be easily trained. They easily learn to play with a ball, make sounds in different pitches as if singing and use different objects or paint.

Recently, researchers have discovered that elephants are able to work together to solve given "problems". What's more, the solutions pachyderms find are truly surprising. Like dolphins, elephants are one of the few animal species that can recognize themselves in a mirror.

The Amazing Dolphins

Dolphins are said to be the most intelligent aquatic animals and some of the most intelligent animals in the world. Dolphin brains are large, with two hemispheres and a complexity approaching that of humans.

Dolphins have been shown to have the ability to think, solve problems and learn from past experiences. Dolphins communicate with each other through different whistle-like sounds, with a highly sophisticated language that researchers are just beginning to discover. In the wild, they use ultrasound to find food.

Furthermore, dolphins are highly social animals. Schools of dolphins can be seen in the world's oceans as they race, leap, spin, and play.

Like the most intelligent creatures on the planet, females stay with their young for many years. They have the ability to recognize themselves when they see themselves in the mirror and have distinct personalities.

In captivity, dolphins can be easily trained.

The Dog - Man's Best Friend

Being highly intelligent, the dog is able to be trained easily, to learn various tricks and commands. The dog can be used in social activities, such as rescue or helping the disabled.

Dogs also have the ability to remember the physiognomy of other animals or people which they will easily recognize even after a year of being separated. At the same time, dogs can express feelings such as joy, jealousy, or anger and do not forget for the rest of their lives someone who has hurt them.

These animals outperformed chimpanzees in tests of cognitive ability.

Dogs are able to understand up to 250 words and gestures, count to five, and perform simple mathematical calculations.

The Border Collie is universally accepted as the most intelligent breed of dog.

The dog has several other strengths in addition to always being in a good mood: they can recognize themselves in pictures and perceive non-verbal messages, they have a highly developed emotional intelligence. What's more, dogs are honest animals, they can never lie.

The Pig Is The Smartest Domestic Animal

Although it seems incredible, the pig - this often underestimated animal - is, according to scientific studies, the smartest of all domestic animals.

It is wrongly believed to be tactless and stupid. The pig has an incredibly strong sense of smell, which helps it to be a good food hunter and it learns very quickly.

Laboratory studies have shown that the pig does better at video games than primates. Pigs dream and recognize their own names, and are able to respond when called.

In some studies, researchers have found that pigs carry on real conversations, with more than 20 different squeaks. Pigs listen to music and females sing to their young, as the young recognize their mother's voice. Pigs can often be trained like dogs.

The Noble Horse

Horses are intelligent and sensitive animals, quickly learning human commands and responding to them even in stressful situations.

Too many people underestimate the intelligence of horses, believing them to rely solely on their natural instincts rather than their cognitive abilities.

Those who love horses certainly appreciate the traits and intelligence of these animals, but also their behavior, memory, affection, and their ability to reason complexly with someone.

Horses can be faithful, sober, gentle, sometimes stubborn, suspicious, apathetic, brave, honest, anxious, playful, and affectionate.

The Playful Cat

Cats are also among the most intelligent mammals on the planet.

If we look closely at the character of cats, we can see that they are able to solve some problems and learn quickly.

Cats are solitary animals who like to be independent. Some cats can be trained to do tricks, but much harder than dogs. Cats learn by observation and imitation. Some cats have learned to secure themselves before crossing the street.

Cats have highly developed hearing and can recognize the owner's footsteps from a distance. They also have the ability to open cupboard doors or even front doors and find hidden food.

The Sheep

Sheep have a level of intelligence that makes them able to distinguish the state of humans, whether they are happy or sad, and act accordingly. They often do not express these responses to the shepherd's sad or smiling attitude, because the shepherd is quite harsh towards them.

Sheep recognize each other even after a long period of separation.

Lambs are playful, they run, do somersaults and jumps, they have the ability to train other animals to play with them.

The Rat

The rat is a very intelligent animal. Often used in laboratories as guinea pigs, rats are known for their ability to find shortcuts, escape routes, or detours to food.

In Chinese culture, the rat is revered for its cunning and adaptability. And rightly so, rats have managed to colonize every continent on Earth.

The Cow

How many of you thought the cow could be smart? The cow doesn't just know how to make milk, she recognizes good music. Cows produce more milk if they listen to classical music.

Experts say they're worried about the future. If the farmers look after them properly, they're happy. Cows, like humans, can be depressed for months and even years.

The Pigeon

Pigeons are intelligent birds that have the ability to remember very well the people and places they have lived and return there each time during their lives.

Moreover, pigeons can recognize people's facial expressions, they can tell if certain people are throwing their food and have bad intentions or if they are friendly, and they can approach them without fear.

Pigeons have a very good memory, if you scare them they will remember and never return to that place again, or if they do approach, they will pay close attention to everything going on around them.

Pigeons are the 19th most intelligent animal in the world.

The Parrot

Parrots have the ability to learn words and reproduce them, to solve difficult problems, to adapt in captivity, to change their behavior by learning, or to improve it. They have a good memory and a high degree of social interaction, empathy, and the ability to react immediately under stress.

Some can learn a lot of words and form short sentences. They can also learn to count to 10 and identify certain objects if trained.

They can also answer "Yes" or "No" to simple questions such as "Do you want water?".

The most intelligent species is the African grey parrot. Scientists say it has the intelligence level of a 5-year-old child.

Crows and Ravens

Crows and ravens are considered some of the most intelligent birds in the world.

It's easy enough for us to accept that mammals can demonstrate a large dose of intelligence, but what are our reactions when we learn that some birds have a fairly high IQ?

A 2004 study in the journal Science found that, at their size, crows possess unusually large brains that are commensurate with chimpanzee brains.

They use tools such as thin branches to pull larvae out of small holes in the tree that they can't reach with their beaks. Crows have been observed placing nuts on the road, waiting for a car to crack them, then eating them. Crows also have the ability to solve problems.

In one famous case, an Israeli man was targeted by a crow following an apparent revenge attack. The bird's chick had fallen out of its nest and the man had kicked it out of his yard. It wasn't long before the crow chased him, forcing the Israeli to wear a helmet and carry a protective umbrella.

The Falcon

The falcon is an intelligent bird that recognizes its territory, returns to exactly the same place, has an excellent memory, the ability to carry out certain commands it has learned, and the ability to transmit messages as homing pigeons do.

The Cuckoo

The cuckoo is the cleverest, but also the most cunning. Females lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, and after the cuckoo chick hatches, it instinctively escapes its half-brothers by throwing them out of the nest.

So far, they have bred excellently this way.

The Ant

Among the world's most intelligent animals we also find ants. These tiny creatures have the ability to plan for their survival - in the sense of gathering and storing food - beyond meeting their immediate needs.

Some species gather leaves, carry them to colonies, and grow mushrooms on them which they then eat. This way of growing requires them to plan and anticipate, so they are intelligent living creatures. They need to provide a place in the colony to store the leaves, then they need to be sown and the waste disposed of.

What's more, the ants make sure that the leaves are not contaminated, so that the food that will be eaten later is of good quality. Although it seems simple, this process requires intelligence on their part, the ability to anticipate and think ahead.

The Squid

Squids are also particularly intelligent invertebrates. Researchers have concluded that they have highly developed sensory and nervous systems and very complex brains. Moreover, they have found certain features of their brains that resemble those of the human brain, but also some very clear main differences between them.

Zoologists and physicists have studied the nervous system of squid and concluded that they can learn certain skills to protect or manifest themselves, they are curious but also wary of everything in their environment.

The Octopus

The octopus is one of the most intelligent marine animals, which also makes it a great lone hunter, it knows how to use its own tentacles, being able to do everything from eating to protecting itself, as well as being able to camouflage itself by quickly changing color.

The octopus has the largest brain of all aquatic invertebrates and is one of the most intelligent creatures in the seas and oceans. It is not yet fully understood, but scientists are constantly discovering new and amazing abilities.

Being highly intelligent, they can learn by observation, an ability that many vertebrates lack. Octopuses can recognize different shapes and sizes of objects, as well as their brightness. They are very curious and find novel solutions to various problems they face.

A few years ago, an octopus escaped from its aquarium, opening the porthole and flooding the entire building.

Octopuses can learn to open jars with screw-on lids and devise complex, multi-dimensional reactions when attacked. Some giant octopuses can even open medicine packages designed so that they cannot be opened by children, and with practice, they become very skilled.

Even octopuses use tools. Researchers have also observed how these marine animals are able to use the shell of coconuts to build a mobile shelter. By carrying themselves, coconuts help octopuses defend themselves from potential predators by quickly hiding underneath.

How we understand different species of animals and how we feel about them seems to depend on our cultural and personal biases. We have compassion for those animal species that are closest to us. Thus, we think of mammals as more intelligent than birds and reptiles, while we think of other species, such as insects, as mindless living creatures.

The reality is that intelligence is a rather complex concept that is difficult to define and is conditioned by our own abilities.

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