Brainy Animals

My deepest hope is that people may respect animals (and all life), in order not to hurt them. We should allow them to build a relationship of mutual respect and love with their co-inhabitants of planet Earth, with US humans, who in so many cases are extremely cruel with animals.
Sometimes I happen to watch documentaries about animals and about the horrible treatments they receive by humans and I simply can't forget, those images follow me ... 

Posted by dear departed Margherita.

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Thank you Inda for the original post.

All animals, from ants to elephants, make decisions. And nature's critters continuously surprise humans with their thinking abilities.

Of course, it's hard to make a definitive ranking since measuring animal intelligence is problematic. Brain size, vocabulary, tool use, and social learning are common metrics of animal smarts, although it's difficult to compare between species since most intelligence tests or tasks are designed for a specific animals.

We also tend to underestimate the brainpower of animals by relying too much on intelligence tests based around what humans are capable of. Right now, most people perceive speech as the main thing that separates humans from other animals, "but it's clear that parrots, dolphins, whales, and elephants have many more parts of language than we've recognized," Morell said to Business Insider.

https://www.businessinsider.co...-in-the-world-2014-4

Raccoons pick locks

If you’re planning a whimsical animal burglary, you’ll definitely want a raccoon anchoring your squad. In a bizarre 1908 study by ethologist H.B. David, raccoons were able to pick complex locks in fewer than ten attempts, even after the locks were rearranged or flipped upside-down. Various studies conducted from the ’60s to the ’90s found that raccoons boast an impeccable memory, able to recall solutions to tasks for up to three years. Bonus fact: Thanks to their broad hearing range, raccoons literally hear earthworms moving underground.

https://www.rd.com/list/smartest-animals/

Dolphins are well known to be one of the most intelligent species on the planet. They are highly capable of both learning and mimicry.

Dolphins demonstrate the ability to do all of these things and most scientists agree that dolphins are very intelligent. They are notoriously talented mimics and quick learners; they demonstrate self-awareness, problem-solving, and empathy, innovation, teaching skills, grief, joy and playfulness.