Lots of people are quick to dismiss animal intelligence as inferior to human intelligence, but let the record show that plenty of animals have earned a reputation for their smarts, with some proving that they can be particularly crafty in a pinch. In this video, we witness five examples of some of nature’s craftiest animals making the best of an unusual situation.
In the first example we see small crabs taking advantage of beach litter in the form of aluminum and tin cans to make temporary homes until they can find a shell that fits their body. It’s a crafty way of improvising because beachgoers like to snag the beautiful shells they use, but in the end, the crab realizes that the can is too challenging to use and finds a real shell in its place.
Octopi are also particularly smart animals because they’re got huge brains and tons of neurons. While their prey would have a tough time escaping a fisherman’s crab pot, this octopus seemingly has no trouble at all finding the exit shortly after invading the equipment for a quick bite.
Orangutans and macaques are also particularly bright animals. Both can take advantage of tools, whether strategically placed by researchers or naturally existing. The wild orangutan uses a saw that was placed by researchers to cut through small branches, a skill undoubtedly facilitated by the animal’s opposable thumbs; the macaque, on the other hand, uses naturally existing rocks to crack open seafood for lunch.
In the last example, a very smart bird realizes that the bread being fed to it would serve better as fishing bait than as an actual meal. Here, we see the bird catching small fish that try to eat the bread, and it appears to work well for the brilliant-minded bird.
