We, humans, are always trying to gauge the world around us, it seems. It is only natural to assess our environment in all the ways we do. If we know our surroundings, we increase our chances of survival.
So we gauge. We judge. We measure.
One area we like to study is the intelligence of animals, and I am glad for that. Animals are smart. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. They may be smarter than us, in ways untold.
We tend to “measure” them by our own “human” intelligence standards. By our speech sets, by our way of counting, and behaving. Yet, we can’t begin to comprehend how they do the things they do. I’ve seen dogs communicate with one another without the slightest verbal cue. That’s a tough trick for humans, although I’ve received “looks” from others that were completely telling.
Animals seem to have a sixth, seventh, eighth sense and higher. And each species has a particular set of tools that allow them to do magnificent things. Just consider the honey bee and all its magic. Worker honey bees are all females. Somehow, this does not surprise me.
Males bees do not know how to even feed themselves, and their only reason for being in the hive is for reproducing with the queen. Somehow, this doesn’t shock me either. The males do not have a stinger, and they are kicked out of the hive in the autumn because there are no uses for them. And that’s the buzz.
There are many “lists” that review the smartest animals, and some of them vary slightly. Yet, most can agree, these are the top ten, in a loose order.
1. Crows / Ravens
2. Chimpanzees
3. Elephants
4. Gorillas
5. Dolphins
6. Pigs
7. Octopuses
8. Parrots
9. Dogs
10. Raccoons
I can attest, personally, to several of these. We’ve had a long-standing, on-going relationship with the raccoons in our neighborhood. You see, we like to feed the birds and the deer. The hungry raccoons believe we are buying the food for them. I can understand the confusion, as we dumb humans have not figured out a way to communicate this with them. I’m still trying to solve this challenge.
Scientific studies have shown that raccoons are notoriously good at picking locks. And, they can remember solutions to problems for more than three years. This past summer, I found one at the front door, with one of those lock picking gizmos. We’ve had to get the locks rekeyed four times now, as they’ve spotted the refrigerator through the window.
Pigs are another of my favorites, although I don’t know any pigs, as we don’t have any here at the house or barn. But there’s something about them that’s endearing to me. Maybe it was Wilbur, in Charlotte’s Web. It could have been Babe. I don’t know. But when I go to the county fair, I always like to visit the pigs and have a chat with them. They seem to understand. Although, they snort at a lot of my ideas. Regardless, I don’t really eat pork these days. At least, not for a few years, I’d say.
I could go on and on about crows and their highly evolved brains. They invent their own tools, for crying out loud. Crows recognize human faces. They communicate complex concepts with other crows. They think about the future and plan. A brand new meaning to the term “bird brain.”
But most of all, I love dogs. I’ve seen, time and again, how smart they can be. I’m so very thankful I get to experience this on a daily basis, as they give me joyful moments at every turn.
So, if you take anything away from this, remember to always be kind to the animal kingdom, no matter who they are.
Because I think they’re organized. And one day, we could really be in for it.
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“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
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“Never call anyone a baboon unless you are sure of your facts.”
― Will Cuppy
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“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
― Anatole France
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Those big smarties on four feet
