![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() But what do they really reveal about animal intelligence? The human mind is remarkable for its innovation and problem-solving across many different domains. Superficially, these behaviours certainly seem smart. Pigs have been taught to play video games, rats can learn the rules of hide-and-seek, and let’s not forget the golfing bees. In one UK zoo, several parrots curse copiously, apparently to entertain visitors. Hyenas employ the art of deception, with low-status individuals sounding an alarm call that scares their rivals away from a tasty carcass. In Bali, long-tailed macaques steal from tourists and then exchange their swag for edible rewards – and they have learned to target high-value items as if they appreciate the basic principles of economics. There are orangutans that craft umbrellas out of plant leaves, and chimps that employ stones as hammers with a technique that is uncannily similar to one seemingly used by our Stone Age ancestors. BARELY a month goes by without a new tale of animals behaving brightly. ![]()
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