Top 9 Most Intelligent Animals In The World

Human lives are complemented by the creation of creatures by the Almighty. Without them, our lives will not be complete, and become in distress. Pets especially were created as companions for humans and despite them not being able to think like humans and solve problems like we can, they still have the instincts of living creatures.

Some of the animals on the face of the earth are considered intelligent and clever mimicking somewhat human intelligence. Here we would like to share with you the top 9 most intelligent animals in the world.

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9. Cat

This cute and fluffy creature is the second most-owned pet in the world just after dogs. This animal has the capability known as object permanence. This means that they know that an object or individual still exists despite not being able to see, hear, touch, smell or feel their presence.

A cat's memory is said to be 200 times more powerful than a dog's. The short-term memory of a cat is 16 hours whereas, for dogs, it is merely 5 minutes. However, a cat usually chooses what it deemed useful to remember.

They are also skilled in hunting and have a very high sensitivity to detecting prey. Despite not being as clever as dogs, cats can easily adapt and learn some useful skills.

8. Squirrel

Never underestimate a squirrel due to its small size as they can be quite cunning sometimes. The intelligence of a squirrel is focused on one thing which is to find and hide its food. They are very clever when it comes to searching for or even stealing food and what's more fascinating is how they hide them.

They are capable of creating storage for not just real food but also fake ones. This is to get the attention of thieves like other squirrels or birds. The culprit will put more emphasis on the fake hideout and forget about the actual stash of real food.

7. Elephant

With such a huge body size, some people might think that their brains will be huge too. But their intelligence is not dependent on how big their brain is instead it is more on the structure of the brain.

Research has shown that an elephant's neocortex is very complex and entangled similar to humans, apes, and dolphins. An elephant's cortex is comprised of many neurons.

Elephants were not born with the instinct to survive and instead learn it throughout their livelihood. They learn to eat, use tools, and understand their habitat and social structure. An elephant is capable of copying sounds, digging holes to drink water, and also solve certain problems.

It can be said that they are adaptable to the current situation. For instance an Asian elephant, Bandula knows how to let go of a complicated hook on its chain and later tells all its friends to escape.

6. Octopus

You might have seen this picture during the world cup as the octopus favors the team that they thought would win. This creature does not have a brain as some of us thought but it is more of collective nerve cells known as ganglia.

2 parts of this brain are specialized in storing memory. That's not all there is also part of the brain that is used for learning. According to Jennifer Mather, a psychologist from Lethbridge University, this animal can easily solve certain problems.

In one study, several octopuses were given seashells and mussels to know which one would be their favorite. Despite them having such immense strength, they still decided to choose mussels.

This is because mussels are much easier to open than seashells. But they will choose seashells when the present one has only half of its shells.

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5. Dogs

It is without a doubt that dogs should be on this list as well. Despite their intelligence varying from one dog to another, it is common to see dogs learn new skills and give a quick response to certain commands instructed by humans.

Based on the IQ of dogs it can be said that they have the same mental state as a 2-year-old child. This study was based on language development where a dog showed the capability of understanding 165 words including sign signals and body language.

There are even cases where the dogs could understand 250 words. The most intelligent dog breeds according to Professor Stanley Coren of the University of British Columbia will be Border collies, poodles, and German shepherds.

Some of the most common proof will be the dogs that are used by local authorities such as customs and police officers to detect drugs and criminals.

4. Cockatoos

It was said that cockatoos are a type of bird that does not have brains unlike other birds since it is far more intelligent per se. Based on a scientific study from Professor Irene Pepperbeg of Brandeis University, the intelligence of a cockatoo resembles that of a 5-year-old kid.

The research that took 29 years was performed on a cockatoo named Alex. Alex can identify 100 objects, most types of food, and even toys in his own home. Professor Irene also added that the communication skills of this bird are only comparable to a 2-year-old.

Irene explained that the bird could not understand long words but could answer the questions that are being asked. Aside from that, Alex can identify up to 7 colors. If you were to use quotes in a sentence, Alex will reply in English.

3. Cetacean

According to the comparison done by Michigan State University the brain of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) with primates (humans) showed that the cetacean brain had the upper hand in terms of their main senses with the way they communicate in which both can be connected through their auditory.

Not just that but the cetacean limbic system is far more complex than humans. Their limbic system is comprised of a combination of several structures of the brain that controls emotion and memory formation.

This might be the reason why these creatures show love much better than humans do. In the cetacean's brain, the lobes and cortex connect with one another and it is said that this part of the brain is where the secrets of their social communication and self-conscious lie.

On the other hand, dolphins also can know their true self by looking at the mirror, solving problems, and relating a part of their body with the human body. If you saw a show performed by dolphins, they will move their fins when their trainer waves at them.

2. Pigs

Despite pigs being one of the most controversial creatures out there, it is definitely exceptional when it comes to intelligence. Pigs have a very good long-term memory and can become socially manipulative compared to other pigs.

They can also distinguish between good and bad humans. According to the writer, Lori Marino, and neuroscientist, Chris Colvin from Emory University in their writings, "Thinking Pigs: A Comparative Review of Cognition, Emotion, and Personality in Sus domesticus" explained pigs have mental and social capabilities similar to dogs and chimpanzees.

The study also suggests that pigs have complex cognitive functions and several features that are considered intelligent and present in other animals. Despite being compared to a chimpanzee, a pig is still not on the same level when it comes to intelligence.

A pig can definitely learn a new skill easily and be able to solve certain problems.

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1. Chimpanzee

Some of you might have guessed that chimpanzees will be the most intelligent animals in the world due to their DNA resemblance to humans. It is not just the looks but also their level of intelligence.

Many movies portray the characters of chimpanzees as they can learn words, play with objects and also show certain emotions when reacting to a certain event.

Due to their intelligence, the emergence of Charles Darwin's theory also said that humans originally came from chimps. Dr. de Waal who studied this matter at Yerkes Primate Research Center in Emory told that chimpanzee is a social animal that is forced to change their behavior according to situations just like humans.

Aside from that, a primatologist from Iowa State University, Jill Pruetz said that there are chimpanzees in Senegal that made spears from wood to hunt primate animals that are much smaller as food.

In one instance, another primatologist, Willian Hopkins studied one particular chimpanzee in which the chimpanzee realized that there is a TV closeby recording it in real-time. The chimpanzee named Austin tried to open his mouth and bite on the monitor but it was unclearly seen.

What's surprising is that Austin later took a flashlight and shone it toward the inside of his mouth so that he can see his own teeth. Austin happens to be the most intelligent chimpanzee William ever found.

William added that "Due to how long I spent studying it, I knew how intelligent this animal is".

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