As humans, it is pretty easy to feel smug in that we believe we ‘run’ the world. We are stronger, smarter, healthier, and more adaptable than other species – or so we like to tell ourselves. This kind of pro-human thinking, though, can lead to a mistake in our psyche: believing that no animal can be intelligent, either. Having a lack of respect for nature, though, is easily cured. How? By looking at these animals who are far smarter than the average person gives them credit for being.
Pigs
The humble pig is the definition of an animal that is seen as stupid despite being anything but. We assume that their eating habits make them fools. Pigs, though, are among the most intelligent domesticated animals in the world. Pigs find ways to deceive other pigs to get more food for themselves. Unlike other animals, too, they can recognize their reflection in a mirror – a high watermark point for animals!
Rats
Rats need to be smart to survive in the squalor that they exist within. Rats are highly intelligent beings; you do not have to find them attractive to respect their intellect. Rats can be trained in many ways and can be taught to do things like roll over and fetch objects for us. They can even solve problems, deal with mazes, and do a whole range of impressive tasks all to land themselves a bit of food.
Dolphins
One of the animals that most people know is smart, dolphins exceed the intellect we mostly assume they have. Their brains allow them to understand emotions in ways that are more adept and mature than even a lot of humans. They have larger brains than any other animal that we have found outside of our species – relative to their body size, of course!
Bonobos
Most assume that because they are primates bonobos cannot be too smart. That is a foolish assumption, though, and often proven to be completely false. Bonobos have been shown to know how to communicate in the past, and can even watch videos and take in information. They are believed to have more control and cognitive functions than a human toddler – no small feat in the animal kingdom, let me tell you!
Animals are special creatures, and understanding – and respecting – their intellect should be a priority for any human who wants to get the absolute most that they can out of our world.