Since childhood, I firmly believe that animals are much smarter than we think. And that we humans as a species are being too arrogant. Scientific evidence proves that our planet is not the epicenter of the solar system, but today it also shows that we are not the only center of intelligence.
But what are considered intelligence levels? How and who defines them? Do you think that some animals are much smarter than some people?
Throughout my experiences, I believe it. The fact that animals cannot speak or read, for example, does not automatically indicate that they cannot think or feel. When comparing one species of animals with another, or even with humans, we can see different degrees of intelligence.
So we delude ourselves into thinking that, for thousands of years, we are smarter than the rest of the animal kingdom. And that, despite mounting evidence these days to the contrary. Of course, I don’t deny that we human animals are smart when it comes to doing what needs to be done to survive. But other species can be much more intelligent than we are, believe or think.
Intelligence is relative
Many animals have exceptional brains, but most people simply misunderstand many of their abilities. Now there are facts that crows, dogs, octopuses or koalas, just to name a few, reveal superior intelligence. It is a generalized truth in the animal kingdom. In some cases, animals have greater reasoning powers than any human being. So some of them are probably a lot smarter.
And some of your actions or behaviors cannot simply be considered instincts. When we look at various animals, we often cannot do what they do. Sometimes the way they act or the things they do are very complicated, like a bat flying in the dark. These creatures can capture flying insects in the air directly with echolocation.
Therefore, it takes not only instinct, but a lot of brainpower to perform such a feat. However, we do not pay attention to these kinds of things because we think they are irrelevant. Most people do not evaluate the abilities of animals, but rather compare them to bears in terms of intelligence. As long as they cannot reason, speak, or read, they must not be as brilliant as we are.
Describing who is smarter
Throughout the ages, the ruling classes, from religion to scholars, repeat that same belief: “We humans are incomparable because we are the most intelligent being in the animal kingdom.” They also pretend that animals have no soul or feelings. However, science and life show us that animals have feelings, souls and reasoning powers, which makes them much more intelligent than we think.
So this belief in thinking that we are superior in intelligence dates back to about ten thousand years ago. It began when man created agriculture, farms, and the domestication of animals. It then gained momentum with religious beliefs, which regarded humans as the main species in creation.
But does it mean that our intelligence is on a higher level? Of course, no; they are simply of different types. When a foreigner tries to speak to you using an imperfect, faulty, or broken version of your language, your first impression is that they are not very smart. But the truth is completely different.
Unconditional love of animals
When it comes to animals, they are much smarter than we usually give them credit for. They are simply smart on their own terms, which are often nothing like yours or mine. I think we can learn a lot from them, like love, empathy, and compassion. So when they care, you can witness that they really do; It is not just a fake disguise as human beings do.
From the animal kingdom, some of these beings love humans unconditionally. However, many people continue to abuse and mistreat that affection. When something happens to us, animals do not look down on us, they push us aside or suddenly decide not to love us anymore. That attitude just shows that they are much smarter than us.
Regardless of the circumstances, they stand by us to the end and all too often we take it for granted. However, some people have no problem getting rid of an animal when it no longer fits into their life or schedule. And we are supposed to be the most intelligent species on this planet; Think again!
The intelligence of animals
Every day, our pets communicate with us through their demands and force us to do the things they want. The animal world is much more complicated than we seem to believe or think. My father is a racehorse trainer, so I grew up around horses and lived for many years in an apartment above a racehorse stable. Cats and dogs were an integral part of my life as well, as with any standard equine stable.
In the 1960s, there were no smartphones or sophisticated cameras to make videos in seconds. But all my life, I witnessed the behaviors, intelligence, and memory tricks of animals. The following story is a perfect example of this.
One day my father bought a racehorse named “Murdoch” from another city, twenty miles away. After a few days, he took the horse to the track to train it. As he galloped, a tractor made a huge noise that startled the animal and its rider fell. The horse, then alone, crossed the track and jumped the barrier disappearing into the forest.
A story of being much smarter
It was time to get in the car. I rode alongside my father in search of the horse. We searched everywhere but to no avail. A few hours later, on our return to the barn, the old owner called. In amazement, he told my dad that the animal was on his ranch.
So, it meant that the horse galloped over roads and woods to return to its previous barn without a single scratch. Somehow, he figured out how to travel twenty miles of unfamiliar territory and get back to where he came from. Not only did the horse do this, but thanks to cameras around the ranch, we were able to see how it entered the horse farm.
Upon reaching the main entrance, the animal saw that it was closed. So he went around the back, pushed open the little door, and climbed the steps that got in his way. Then he found an open cubicle, went inside, and waited there, knowing it was the only home he knew.
Animals are much smarter
Animals are amazing and deserve as much respect as people for their memory, intelligence, tenacity, and unconditional love.
- Horses, dogs and cats, among many species that spend time with people, can recognize body language signs that you or I are not paying attention to.
- Primates like chimpanzees can easily beat people by remembering a series of numbers they saw for a fraction of a second.
- Octopuses learn to open child-resistant lids on medicine bottles, which many of us are unable to open.
- Bats map space with echolocation and sonar.
- Birds discover and understand the complex mechanics of flight and landing.
- Crows, depicted in horror movies for stupid reasons, are not only among the most intelligent birds, but they are far more intelligent than most creatures. They can do tasks that three- and four-year-olds have trouble doing.
Animals have feelings
While they have different brain structures, experts estimate that animals like crows and apes handle and use a combination of mental tools. It even includes imagination and expectation of possible future events so that they can solve problems.
Once again, I witnessed how some crows learned to use cars to crack nuts. They wait patiently at intersections while watching for traffic lights. So when the traffic stops, they retrieve a nut that the vehicles crushed and put on the road earlier.
Also, it is now clear that elephants cry. Most mammals feel joy, love, and sadness or suffering. Once, in Ukraine, my mother-in-law took home a stray cat that lived in a hospital. It was not a small kitten, but an adult cat. The cat was now living with her cottage fifteen miles from the hospital, and she seemed unhappy.
Give credit to animals
One day, she opened the door and the cat flew past her and ran into the field. Ten days later, thinking that he had lost the animal forever, he appeared on the hospital floor. The animal had lost a lot of weight and appeared to be slightly injured, but it was alive. He had found his way home through fields and through incredible obstacles.
Therefore, we human beings have to end this obsession with comparing animals with human abilities. We choose things that we are good at, like technology or language. And then we intelligently associate it with other species in our world. But animals are much smarter than we think. So let’s think twice before making any assumptions and giving them the credit they deserve.
