The global search for the most intelligent animals has become one of science’s most captivating pursuits. From jungles to oceans to treetops, researchers are continually discovering surprising new displays of intelligence.
Many animals possess impressive cognitive skills and complex social intelligence, characterized by large brains and significant mental capacities.
What makes this quest to find the most intelligent animals so intriguing is how it challenges our human-centered ideas about intelligence. Instead of comparing animals to humans, scientists now consider animal intelligence on its own terms. Animals are capable of incredible things that were previously overlooked.
To define what “smart” truly means, researchers have developed new standards beyond imitation or instinct. The focus is now on problem-solving across species, the ability to communicate complex ideas, and even inventing new solutions to challenges.
Next on the list, with 18 of the most intelligent animals on the planet, shows that maybe humans aren’t the only intelligent beings after all.
#1 Orangutans
Apes are among the oldest species in the animal kingdom, having evolved over 25 million years ago. They are also some of the most intelligent, as demonstrated by their skilled use of tools, problem-solving abilities, understanding of social interactions, and capacity to learn sign language.
They show remarkable foresight, and, compared to chimpanzees, they are more innovative and creative.
A study by WWF found that some orangutans even craft their own gloves from leaves to protect their hands from spiky fruits and branches.
Unlike most great apes, orangutans are pretty solitary, so their ability to solve problems and adapt shows that complex learning doesn’t always require large social groups.
© Photo: r/Awwducational
#2 Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins rank among the most intelligent animals on Earth due to their self-awareness, complex communication, and ability to comprehend symbolic language and abstract concepts. They pass cognitive tests with flying colors and can solve puzzles, like opening cans of food.
In 2001, two researchers performed a self-recognition test on dolphins at the New York Aquarium, proving that they can recognize themselves in a mirror.
This is a hallmark of self-consciousness, once thought exclusive only to humans. Field observations have also shown bottlenose dolphins teaching their young to use marine sponges as foraging tools, proving their empathy and innovation.
© Photo: r/Dolphins
#3 Asian Elephant
Asian elephants are among the most intelligent animals in the world, thanks to their impressive memory.
They can recognize themselves in mirrors and also distinguish between human faces, recognizing ethnicities and genders. Asian elephants are also highly empathetic, exhibiting protective instincts, mourning rituals, and a strong desire to comfort others.
Research published by the University of Cambridge in 2011 found that Asian elephants also possess an understanding of teamwork and cooperation that rivals humans.
The experiment required them to pull a rope attached to a platform. Most of the elephants waited for a partner to arrive before pulling, proving that they understood the objective and need for collaboration.
© Photo: r/Awwducational
#4 Meerkat
Meerkats are adorable, but they’re also highly intelligent animals.
They are among the few nonhuman animals known to teach intentionally, and they adapt their behavior to the learner’s skill level. They teach their pups key survival skills and can adjust their abilities to the situation.
A 2006 study by the University of Cambridge found that older meerkats in captivity played a vital role in providing pups with safe food, including removing stingers from scorpions.
This behavior isn’t imitative; it demonstrates active initiative and understanding of complex social structures related to survival.
© Photo: wellington.zoo / Instagram
#5 Border Collie
Border collies are the most cognitively advanced breed of domestic dogs, capable of complex understanding, logical inference, and impressive memory recall, rivaling that of human children.
These intelligent creatures can follow human commands, read emotional cues, and anticipate people’s actions. These skills highlight their evolutionary adaptation to human communication.
The most famous Border Collie is named Chaser. A BBC study found that he had learned the names of 1,022 objects, including over 100 balls and 800 cloth animals.
Chaser’s eagerness for knowledge shows that measuring animal intelligence should always include testing their most human-like skills and qualities.
© Photo: border_collie_max / Instagram
#6 Capuchin Monkey
Monkeys are among the most intelligent species on Earth, and capuchin monkeys are particularly notable for their problem-solving abilities and tool use.
These social animals are highly aware of their surroundings, with traits that place them near the great apes in terms of intellect.
Studies have shown that capuchin monkeys possess some of the most advanced and innovative tool use among all species.
They use stone tools to crack open nuts and seeds, dig for food, and probe for food in trees or burrows.
Their ability to create their own hammers and anvils demonstrates their resourcefulness and self-sufficiency in providing for themselves and their large social groups.
© Photo: r/aww
#7 Domestic Pig
Domestic pigs exhibit a surprising combination of emotional and cognitive intelligence that rivals dogs and primates, including self-recognition and complex social learning.
They have even been shown to outperform humans in implicit category-based generalization, particularly among young children, because humans tend to favor rule-based strategies, whereas pigs do not.
A 2021 study found that pigs can play simple video games with their snouts, moving joysticks around to bounce a cursor off virtual walls.
Their understanding of the connection between the stick and the game demonstrates cognitive sophistication, placing them among the most intelligent animals today.
© Photo: estherthewonderpig / Instagram
#8 Long Evans Rat
Long-Evans rats challenge stereotypes about rodents by demonstrating empathy, problem-solving abilities, and even moral decision-making. They consistently outperform other rat variants, excelling in tasks that rely on memory and spatial navigation.
They’re also able to use visual cues to make judgments and recall locations.
The most famous Long-Evans rat is Hobbie-J, who was genetically modified to be even more intelligent.
As part of an experiment, Hobbie-J was injected with the NR2B gene, which accelerates the rate at which brain cells communicate, enabling him to retain information longer. Some researchers believe that such studies could help develop a safe drug for dementia.
© Photo: r/aww
#9 African Grey Parrot
African Grey parrots have consistently demonstrated exceptional verbal reasoning, abstract thinking, and understanding of human concepts.
They can use language to communicate with humans, grasping the context of specific words and thinking independently rather than merely mimicking those around them.
Their memories are also highly advanced. One of the most intelligent birds ever was an African Grey named Alex.
According to 30 years of research, he remembered over 100 words for objects and actions, could count sets of up to 6, and even showed advanced math skills for an animal.
His legacy demonstrates a profound understanding and continues to help bridge the gap between humans and animals. African Grey parrots have unlimited potential comparable to that of human children.
© Photo: r/parrots
#10 Orcas
Orcas are among the most intelligent creatures in the ocean and the entire animal kingdom.
They demonstrate cultural learning abilities, as well as excellent social memory and coordinated, calculated hunting on a scale that rivals human intuition.
Killer whales utilize a unique communication system, which includes whistles, clicks, and pulses, and pass their knowledge down through generations.
Research has shown that this mammal exhibits remarkable flexibility and creative thinking, enabling it to utilize its cognitive abilities to its advantage when hunting and foraging.
Orcas also have their own “cultures” that emphasize their emotional bonds and distinct underwater societies.
© Photo: orca.share / Instagram
#11 Heliconius Butterfly
The Heliconius butterfly genus is known as the “butterfly with brains” because of its remarkable intelligence.
They demonstrate spatial memory and location learning, abilities that are quite rare among insects, and can develop complex foraging routes to aid their survival.
According to a 2023 study, Heliconius butterflies frequently revisit the same flowers in specific sequences and can even navigate complex mazes and remember locations for several days.
They have mushroom bodies in their brains, which give them an unusually large capacity for retaining information and making informed decisions.
Their intelligence highlights the surprising cognitive potential of even the smallest creatures in the animal kingdom.
© Photo: floridamuseum / Instagram
#12 New Caledonian Crow
Crows aren’t just attracted to beautiful things; they are also some of the most intelligent creatures on Earth.
New Caledonian crows, in particular, are among the most advanced tool users in the animal kingdom, demonstrating insight, innovation, and even long-term planning.
They can modify tools and save them for later, reflecting early human technological development.
A study by the University of Oxford found that they can even create long-reaching tools from scratch by combining multiple parts into usable, maneuverable tools.
New Caledonian crows have flexible decision-making and planning abilities, allowing them to find solutions to problems and survive independently quickly.
© Photo: r/Awwducational
#13 Octopus
Octopuses appear somewhat alien and exhibit an intelligence shaped by an entirely different evolutionary process than that of other sea creatures, yet they rival mammals in creativity and learning.
They have a distributed brain that enables them to solve problems and perform tasks without needing instructions from the central brain.
A 1998 study found that octopuses could open glass jars stoppered with plugs, especially when hunting prey.
Their ability to set a goal and devise a solution to achieve it is distinctly human, highlighting their natural curiosity, playfulness, and creativity.
Their long limbs work in tandem with their advanced brains, giving them an intellectual edge over their closest relatives.
© Photo: r/Awwducational
#14 Common Raven
Like crows, ravens are highly intelligent birds, with the common raven being the most complex. It demonstrates strong planning and problem-solving skills, as well as social intelligence comparable to that of apes.
They have excellent memories, especially of faces, and possess a complex understanding of concepts such as strategizing and trading.
Research from 2020 found that by four months old, ravens begin developing full cognitive abilities, which continue to grow throughout their lives.
They can reason and make decisions about the future based on past experiences, so if they’ve ever been mistreated or cheated by a human, they will remember.
© Photo: r/whatsthisbird
#15 Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse
The ocean is home to some ancient creatures, including the Bluestreak cleaner wrasse, which has existed for approximately 50 million years.
These tiny animals surprised scientists by being the first fish to pass the mirror self-recognition test, and they continue to demonstrate their cognitive abilities.
They have excellent memories and recognize their best “clients,” often those that provide the most parasites to eat, and they perform to secure future “business” with them.
A 2012 experiment showed that cleaner wrasses can outperform chimpanzees on certain mental tests.
When asked to choose between a temporary and a permanent plate of food, the wrasses ate from the temporary plate first to ensure a second serving, while the chimps chose randomly.
Their brains may weigh less than a tenth of a gram, but wrasses can outperform mammals and other aquatic animals with much larger heads.
© Photo: r/ReefTank
#16 Honeybee
Honeybees may be small, but they are highly resourceful and intelligent insects. Bees learn by observation, but they also develop their own solutions instead of just copying others.
They share a similar cognitive process with humans in facial recognition, and honeybees tend to be more socially aware and advanced than other bee types.
Research indicates they have distinct personalities and can perform basic math, likely because of their complex nervous systems.
They are much more intelligent than most other insects, with a quick ability to adapt to new tasks and situations, unlike those with fixed routines.
© Photo: r/aww
#17 Jumping Spider
Many people consider jumping spiders among the scariest animals in the world, which leads them to underestimate their intelligence.
They are expert hunters capable of navigating complex environments, remembering food locations, and planning intricate routes in advance.
This ability is essential for their survival, and they have evolved to solve complex problems at a higher level than other arachnids.
A Harvard study found that they can also distinguish between moving objects and inanimate ones, a skill previously thought to be unique to humans.
Their eyesight is unmatched, and they effectively use their abilities to their advantage, granting them remarkable cognitive skills despite having brains the size of a grain of sand.
© Photo: r/awwnverts
