While many pet owners witness their animals performing clever tricks or solving puzzles, some creatures possess intelligence that truly defies expectations. This week, remarkable discoveries have highlighted several animals with extraordinary cognitive abilities, from a cow using tools to an orca developing a unique language.
Veronika the Tool-Using Cow
In the Austrian village of Carinthia, a cow named Veronika has astonished researchers by demonstrating what is believed to be the first documented case of a cow using a tool. Owned by organic farmer and baker Witgar Wiegele for over a decade, Veronika initially displayed an ability to recognise different family members' voices and hurry to greet them.
However, her most impressive behaviour emerged when she began playing with sticks and eventually learned to scratch herself with them. A paper published on January 19 in the journal Current Biology details controlled trials where researchers placed a deck brush on the ground in random orientations, observing Veronika's consistent choices in selecting which end to use and which body part to target.
Co-author Antonio Osuna-Mascaró, a post-doctoral researcher, explained: 'Veronika is not just using an object to scratch herself. She uses different parts of the same tool for different purposes, and she applies different techniques depending on the function of the tool and the body region.' This flexible, multi-purpose tool use places Veronika alongside other tool-using animals like chimpanzees and crows.
Britain's Brightest Canine Minds
Harvey the Border Collie
Seven-year-old Harvey, hailed as 'Britain's brightest dog', has mastered an impressive vocabulary of 221 words. His owner, Irene Hewlett, began by teaching him the name of a single toy, and Harvey has since developed the ability to fetch any of his toys by name alone. Scientists classify Harvey as a 'gifted word learner', a special category of dogs with a unique capacity to connect human words with objects.
Recent studies suggest that such dogs can expand their vocabulary simply by eavesdropping on their owners, demonstrating language abilities comparable to those of an 18 to 23-month-old toddler. Some gifted word learners can even categorise toys conceptually, distinguishing between toys for pulling and those for fetching without explicit instruction.
Cooper the Shih Tzu
Known as 'the canine Einstein', Cooper the Shih Tzu from Lytham St Anne's in Lancashire reportedly possesses an IQ of 142, surpassing the average human intelligence. Owner Kirsty Forrester gained attention by sharing videos of Cooper sorting shapes by size and colour without assistance.
Cooper's repertoire includes sticking his tongue out on command, counting food pieces, sorting objects by colour, and using ring stacking toys. Forrester noted that Cooper learns new skills faster than a human toddler, with shape sorting particularly resonating with observers due to its association with early childhood development toys.
Unconventional Animal Prodigies
Melanie the Raccoon
In Sussex, raccoon owner Kimberly Unger has taught her pet Melanie over 100 tricks, challenging assumptions about wild animals' trainability. Melanie can somersault, touch her ears on command, put a ball through a hoop, push a shopping trolley, ride a miniature bike, and even play a raccoon-sized piano.
White Gladis the Orca
In the Strait of Gibraltar, an orca named White Gladis leads a pod linked to over 700 close encounters with boats, some resulting in sinkings. Researchers discovered that this pod hunts in eerie silence, having developed a unique language not found in other orca populations. This tactical silence stems from their expertise in hunting alert tuna, avoiding noises that might startle their prey.
Dr Renaud de Stephanis, president of the Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans in Spain, described the behaviour as 'a game-like behaviour developed by a small subpopulation of orcas', noting their focus on sailboat rudders due to the dynamic reactions they provide.
Anchali the Asian Elephant
At Berlin Zoo, an Asian elephant named Anchali displayed sophisticated tool use by sabotaging her friend Mary's shower. Anchali lifted and kinked a hose to disrupt water flow, potentially demonstrating second-order tool-use behaviour. Researchers documented how Mary systematically showers herself using the hose as a stiff shower head or employing a lasso strategy to reach her back.
Lead author Professor Michael Brecht from Humboldt University of Berlin expressed surprise at Anchali's clever trick, highlighting elephants' advanced cognitive abilities. Research has established that elephants possess distinct personalities—aggressive, attentive, or outgoing—with emotional characteristics similar to humans, aiding conservation efforts.
The Broader Implications
These cases underscore the diverse manifestations of animal intelligence, from problem-solving and tool use to language development and social manipulation. As scientists continue to study these remarkable creatures, our understanding of cognitive abilities across species expands, revealing complex behaviours once thought exclusive to humans.
