Top 20 Most Intelligent Animals in the World

1. Mouse

Mice are creatures of the underground, dwelling in kitchens, burrows, and found across continents except Antarctica. Their natural nemesis? Cats. These critters boast frightening reproduction rates and are seasoned crop destroyers. While humans despise mice for their dirt and havoc, within their small brains lie the keys to many locks.

Recently, mice have showcased their prowess in sniffing out structural vulnerabilities in various constructions. Even the most fortified research labs occasionally find unexpected visitors, leaving scientists feeling outsmarted. Super agile and as stealthy as true ninjas…

Moreover, studies have revealed that mice experience emotions and even dream, akin to humans. Notably, in Chinese culture, mice are revered for their cunning and agility.

2. Pigeon

Pigeons symbolize world peace, highly favored for delivering messages during ancient wars, they are prevalent in most major cities of North America. Pigeons are among the world's smartest animals.

Despite their somewhat dense population and occasional inconvenience to those around, it cannot be denied that they are quite accomplished. The pigeon's brain is the size of a pea. They can recognize themselves in a mirror, remember hundreds of different images, classify objects, even name them, navigate the shortest, most accurate, and least energy-consuming flight paths,... Therefore, pigeons have become one of the most welcomed creatures in countless scientific experiments.

Octopus, the boneless creature, covered in slime, silently swims across coral reefs, present at all layers of the sea. Among the invertebrates under the ocean, octopuses are the most intelligent. Even to this day, despite extensive research, scientists have not fully uncovered all the wonders that octopuses are capable of.

We can consider octopuses as the kings of all mazes because no maze can contain them, thanks to their navigation abilities and short-term memory. They are agile with impressive speed, as curious as polar bears, and their hunting prowess is formidable, despite lacking any bones.

Scientists once conducted an experiment where octopuses were asked to differentiate between two individuals with contrasting personalities: one cold and one very approachable. Shortly after, this octopus showed indifference, disregarding the cold individual, while happily engaging with the friendly one it had met earlier.

Pigs are gentle and easy-going animals, as well as the laziest creatures in the world. There are various types of pigs, among which the 'pot-bellied pig' is known as the most intelligent pet in the world. Pigs are easy to raise, easy to care for, and they eat anything, which is a trait many people adore, although they can be quite picky eaters as they know which foods are toxic or not. They also have the ability to use mirrors to find hidden food and have their own strategies to deceive others in the herd to eat more. Pigs are also one of the fastest to adapt to new environments.

According to scientists, pigs have an exceptional long-term memory. They can locate objects and solve challenging tasks such as finding their way out of mazes.

The adversaries of gardeners are none other than the mischievous squirrels. With their agility in every leap and perfect memory, they have often given headache to those in the farming industry. If these squirrels were to transform into humans, they could be likened to top military commanders due to their impressive strategic planning and bold tactics to survive.

Squirrels quickly adapt to their environment, consuming a variety of foods from flowers, leaves, and branches to seeds and even livestock feed. Their diligent habit of hoarding food ensures they never go hungry, as their nests are always filled with provisions, although they never seem satisfied with their bounty. Scientists assert that squirrels possess the ability to cunningly conceal their food like potential thieves.

Elephants, the largest land animals and now listed in the red list of endangered species, are also considered highly intelligent creatures. They live in utmost serenity and elegance, sometimes exhibiting unique cultural traits. They clean their food in various ways and use different tools for different tasks, learning a multitude of signals taught by humans and showing care and affection to their kind, as well as enveloping other animals with love and protection.

Moreover, elephants have the ability to distinguish human language and voices. Specifically, scientists recorded sounds from various groups of indigenous people who specialize in elephant hunting in Africa and played them for the elephants. Upon hearing these recordings, the elephants became extremely frightened and sought ways to flee. Conversely, with recordings of other content, they hardly changed their positions. Scientists then recorded different subjects such as men, women, and children (within the elephant-hunting indigenous group). When played for the elephants, they only feared the voices of the men in the group.

Ravens - The most law-abiding traffic enforcers in the world. Ravens are pedestrian birds, crossing the street on red lights, appearing like little 'traffic police.' However, scientists highly regard their ability to quickly recognize and differentiate various signals.

Ravens are classified among the most intelligent animals in the world. They are the only non-primate species capable of manufacturing and using tools. For instance, in many experiments, ravens can use sticks to reach out-of-reach food, and they can even bend thin metal rods into tools despite having no prior exposure.

Moreover, ravens utilize the force of passing car tires to crack open certain types of nuts and expose their food inside. And when the traffic light turns red, they elegantly collect their findings. Ravens can also communicate with humans, recognize their voices, engage in games with them, and even engage in pranks; they are the world's top 'pranksters' as they love playing tricks on other animals, among which humans are the prime targets.

Dolphins are known for their intelligence and friendly demeanor, captivating humans with their playful antics. Despite their intelligence, they often perform as mere 'clowns' in captivity. Living in social groups with strict hierarchies, dolphins exhibit highly organized social behavior. They possess their own language, which humans have learned to understand. Dolphins can memorize human behaviors and analyze them positively or negatively. They are capable of various activities such as whistling, surfing, racing, and even threading needles.

Scientists have also discovered that dolphins possess a remarkable level of consciousness similar to humans. They can comprehend language and express empathy. Moreover, dolphins have exceptional memory capabilities. Each dolphin species emits distinct sound signals to differentiate themselves from others. Remarkably, bottlenose dolphins can remember the sounds of their peers for up to 20 years.

The bonobo easily secures its position among the world's most intelligent animals, ranking just below humans. Despite ongoing debates, their remarkable abilities cannot be denied.

Bonobos live in a society akin to humans, dwelling in social groups with their own leaders and hierarchies. Their brain functions are nearly on par with humans, exhibiting superior cognitive abilities compared to other species. They demonstrate tool-making and tool-using skills derived from nature. Bonobo mothers exhibit exceptional maternal instincts comparable to any human mother. Their communication methods are distinct, rivaling human telecommunication.

Bonobos also display proficiency in utilizing natural tools. They adeptly use sticks to catch termites, ants, and bees. Moreover, they utilize leaves as trumpets, altering the frequency of their calls to warn each other of threats or to avoid other carnivorous predators.

Don't be fooled by their cute yet somewhat bewildered appearance; in reality, raccoons are among the most intelligent creatures alive today. Raccoons often utilize and modify surrounding objects to aid in their hunting endeavors, as well as during their feeding times. They are adept at using rocks or other hard objects to crack open shells, nuts, snails, and soft-bodied creatures, which are delicacies for them to consume.

Furthermore, raccoons possess a very affectionate and adorable behavior, such as holding hands while sleeping. Because raccoons prefer to sleep floating on water, this behavior often prevents them from being swept away from their territory while asleep due to strong currents. To avoid being washed away, raccoons will hold hands to form a sturdy chain on the water's surface. Even when sleeping alone, raccoons will gather moss and wrap it around their bodies to prevent themselves from being carried away by the current.

10. Raccoon

11. Stingrays

Ranked as the world's smartest animal, the bonobo stands tall at the top spot. Belonging to the great ape family, their feats have led many scientists to speculate that humans evolved from them.

Surprisingly, bonobos share 99% of their DNA with humans, indicating a close genetic relationship. They seem to have mastered the use of tools since ancient times. They can fashion spears to hunt other animals for meat, and they even devise specialized tools to catch ants for food.

Moreover, they possess the ability to solve complex individual problems quickly, exhibit highly social behavior, and maintain strict discipline within their groups, with the alpha deciding everything for the entire troop. They can communicate with humans through simple expressions and some learned gestures. Their memory is exceptional; they can recognize you even after a decade of not seeing you. What's remarkable is their ability to convey their thoughts to humans through models created by humans.

It may come as a surprise, but the turmeric bee is among the few insects with astonishing intelligence. Despite having a brain smaller than a grain of rice, this bee possesses intelligence that baffles scientists. As commonly known, bees require nutrients from pollen and nectar to survive and thrive. Therefore, the food source of these bees heavily depends on the seasons and weather. However, scientists from Switzerland have discovered that turmeric bees can find a way to stimulate early flower blooming, ensuring they don't starve in winter. Specifically, these bees chewed up all the leaves on the branches to stimulate early flowering. The results showed that this action indeed caused plants to bloom up to 30 days earlier than usual.

Moreover, turmeric bees also know how to maintain the temperature of their hive at a stable level, avoiding foraging near the hive to prevent attracting predators. Furthermore, when pollinating flowers, these insects can follow a very complex and intricate pollination route that even computers cannot solve.

When it comes to highly intelligent animals that are familiar and close to us, one cannot overlook the cat. Unlike dogs, which are social, active, and enjoy human companionship, cats tend to be more aloof and less expressive than dogs. This demeanor often leads many to believe that cats are not as intelligent as dogs and other animals. However, science has proven that cats are highly capable of imitation. According to a study published in the journal Animal Cognition by researchers in Hungary, cats have the ability to perceive and imitate the actions of other animals or even humans intentionally. Cats can learn to open drawers, turn around, shake hands, touch toys with their paws, and repeat these actions accurately over 80% of the time compared to 18 human gestures studied.

Furthermore, the cat's brain is highly complex. A study by neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel estimated that cats have around 250 million neurons in their brains. This allows them to have better short-term memory and also to infer human emotions through body language.

Besides dolphins, killer whales also belong to the highly intelligent species under the ocean. According to researcher Giles, killer whale communities exhibit social organization, shared culture, and the ability to identify behaviors that only younger generations should know. Some experts concur with Giles's view, as after experiments and observations, they discovered that the killer whale's brain is the second largest among all aquatic creatures and is extremely complex. This enables them to easily distinguish entities in the water, hence during hunting, they never mistake or lose track of their prey.

Furthermore, some researchers conducted experiments comparing intelligence indices between humans and killer whales. The results were surprisingly astonishing; killer whales have an IQ level nearly equivalent to that of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old child. Additionally, their intelligence is reflected in various aspects. For instance, they have their own social system and engage in cooperation and competition among individuals. Moreover, killer whales possess their unique language system and know how to pass on hunting skills to the next generations.

Within the avian family, parrots could be considered one of the most intelligent species, almost equivalent to primates. Besides mimicking human speech, parrots demonstrate even more remarkable abilities. In a study at the University of Vienna, researchers found that parrots possess intelligence levels comparable to a three-year-old child based on the results of an intelligence test conducted on each animal. Specifically, scientists concealed a dog treat inside one of two sealed boxes placed side by side. When randomly shaking one box, instead of appearing confused, the parrot immediately used its beak to pry open the correct box containing the dog treat based on the sound it heard. Dr. Christian Schloegl shared in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B that only orangutans have been observed performing this action, but not in other animal species.

Moreover, parrots are renowned for their ability to mimic human actions and rapidly learn how to use objects proficiently. Recently, scientists have also discovered that Cockatoo parrots can exchange food with humans to obtain what they need. Psychologists note that this ability is rarely found in other animal species, except for humans. It can be said that parrots are among the most intelligent bird species in the world.

16. Sea Lion

Anyone who has witnessed the performances of sea lions at aquariums or zoos surely understands the impressive intelligence of these marine mammals. As marine mammals living in regions ranging from the Arctic to the tropics, sea lions possess extremely large brains and complex nervous systems. This partly enables sea lions to have a relatively good memory, with short-term memory lasting up to three to four months.

Surprisingly, through a series of individual IQ tests, a sea lion named Rio in California even became one of the few animal individuals known to use logic to process information. Additionally, sea lions exhibit exceptional coordination among themselves. This can be readily observed as they collaborate with trainers at amusement parks to perform tricks such as balancing a hoop or balancing a ball on their nose. In the wild, this coordination greatly enhances their effectiveness during hunting or combat with adversaries in the vast ocean.

17. Ant

You might be surprised to see ants on this list, but in reality, ants are one of the notable intelligent creatures. This is evident in their highly organized activities. Ants store food, attack enemies, and use pheromones as a chemical signal for communication when assistance is needed. Additionally, they cultivate fungi, raise aphids, exchange information, and mobilize armies for combat when threatened. Biologist Lewis Thomas even remarked that ants and humans share astonishing similarities.

Moreover, ants exhibit learning abilities. A study conducted at Oxford University revealed that when ants return from foraging trips, they often orient themselves by synthesizing previous directions and distances traveled, continually updating this information during their journey. Furthermore, they teach each other paths to food sources.

18. Manta Ray

When it comes to fish, most people assume their intelligence is generally low compared to mammals. However, in reality, scientists have discovered that the manta ray possesses considerable intelligence. In a study at Oxford University, researchers analyzed manta rays and surprisingly found that in captive environments, these fish can distinguish familiar human faces or feeding times with surprising accuracy among dozens of other unfamiliar faces.

Moreover, manta rays have quite good memory and can learn and use tools for hunting prey (sometimes even better than mice and toddlers just learning to walk). An example is the manta ray species known as the tasseled wobbegong, which exhibits intelligent feeding behavior. They often trap a fish in their mouth and forcefully slam it against a rock until the fish's shell breaks open for consumption.

Alongside jays and magpies, the loggerhead shrike is no slouch when it comes to avian intelligence. This is a fairly common bird in the forests of Eastern and Northwestern America, known for its adept mimicry of other bird calls in a cunning manner. These crafty shrikes often imitate the calls of hawks to snatch prey, steal eggs, and deceive other bird species.

Recently, a study published at Cambridge University revealed that the loggerhead shrike's ability to endure and suppress food cravings is no less than that of humans. Specifically, researchers experimented by offering the shrikes a variety of foods, and to obtain their favorite foods (worms), they had to wait longer. Despite being very hungry, they were still willing to overlook less appealing options in the experiment (specifically, bread). Upon realizing they would be rewarded handsomely if they 'patiently' waited longer, these birds accepted and completed the experiment quite conveniently.

Everyone knows dogs are famously intelligent creatures. In reality, scientists believe that dogs have intelligence equivalent to a two-year-old child, and many studies have shown that our four-legged friends have a very high learning ability. A classic example from Coren's experiments, the author of several famous books about dogs and their behavior. Through observation, he noted that dogs can learn to exchange behaviors for rewards, analyze pathways during movement (the fastest way to get to their favorite sleeping spot), and learn to use tools (knowing how to open doors and operate some simple machinery).

Moreover, dogs can comprehend language equivalent to that of a child aged 12 to 18 months. On average, a dog can learn 165 words, and some intelligent breeds can even learn up to 250 words. While issuing commands for dogs to perform actions, they can understand some key language in the process. It's entirely possible to train a dog to perform behaviors through commands in a very straightforward manner.