Animals That Have Human-like Intelligence

Renovate Life Now

One of the most compelling questions humans ask themselves is, "Are we alone in the universe?" But what does that mean? Do people long to find life on other planets because the Earth is a lonely blue ball hanging in space? Or do people hope to communicate with another intelligent species with a different life experience?

We're not alone on Earth. We share this world with over a billion species of plants and animals, and many trillions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. I'm not sure if viruses count as living things but bacteria and fungi do count.

Science has only just begun to crack the code of life. We've learned that mankind isn't one species but several species. There were once a half dozen or more species of humans, all descended from common but distant ancestors. The Home sapiens species outlasted all other known human species. But our modern ancestors also met and mated with some of those other ancient human species, including Neanderthals and Denisovans. We know that because their DNA lives on in us, their final descendants.

Intelligent life abounds on Earth. Our world is a truly marvelous place filled with wonder and special creatures great and small. I've come to appreciate just how intelligent most animals truly are. They have a sense of self, and they experience emotions like fear, anger, love, and friendship. They feel territorial and they'll defend their young. They also solve problems and pass on habits to their offspring.

How is it that we failed to appreciate animal culture and intelligence for thousands of years while living alongside them? Here are a few examples of the truly intelligent but alien species that share Earth with us.

Cetaceans

There are almost 90 known species of cetaceans. These are the whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Many cetacean species have proven they are intelligent, thoughtfu, even caring creatures. According to the latest scientific research, many cetacean species have demonstrated traits of human-like culture. They live in family groups, communicate by sound through mysterious languages, and work together.

Captive dolphins and whales learn to take direction from their trainers and even perform in shows. They've been known to show affection, aggression, and curiosity. In many ways they are just like us. And yet they are so different.

One of the saddest stories I've read was about the whale mother who nursed her dead baby for a week, grieving over the loss of her child. How can you say whales are not intelligent and loving creatures?

We've been so cruel to whales it's no wonder they don't trust us. I hope scientists one day find a way to communicate with them and to apologize for the harm we've done to them.

Chimpanzees and other Apes

A chimpanzee uses stones to crack nuts. — **Chimpanzees are intelligent enough to solve problems and make stone tools.**

Chimpanzees are said to be our closest reletaives in the animal world. Scientists believe our ancestors separated about 6-7 million years ago. In all that time, human and chimpanzee DNA has supposedly only diverged by about 2%. That means 98% of the genes carried by humans are carried by chimpanzees.

Chimpanzees are very intelligent creatures. They express laughter, hatred, love, depression, sadness, and other emotions. They also live together in family groups, wage wars against rival clans, and experiment with tools. Chimpanzees solve problems. And some of them have learned to communicate with humans through sign language.

Chimpanzees are so intelligent that scientists believe they have now entered the stone age. They are learning to make and use stone tools. If they can survive for another few hundred thousand years, they may one day become as intelligent as we are today.

I don't know if chimpanzees have anything like philosophy, but they may look up at the stars at night and wonder what all those lights are. They surely must wonder what we are and why we are so cruel to them.

Gorillas are also intelligent but they don't use tools. They're very strong creatures but they live in family groups and they teach their young how to survive. A few gorillas have learned to communicate with humans through sign language. They also feel emotions like we do, and they are self-aware.

Dogs

Dogs are probably not as intelligent as other animals in this list, but they are intelligent enough to understand human speech. Scientists aren't quite sure how much the dogs understand. People who live with dogs know they are very intelligent and understand many abstract ideas. Some dogs recognize themselves in mirrors, and so we know they have a sense of self.

You've probably seen videos and pictures of abused dogs. You know from their expressions and body postures that they feel fear, pain, hope, despair, love, and other emotions. They can also learn to solve simple problems.

Dogs are more dependent upon human companionship than any other species of animal on Earth. We rely on them for more than hunting and protection. We need their companionship. We've developed a truly human-like bond with these loving creatures. Their emotions alone make them special in humankind's quest to find friends and companions in the universe.

Elephants

Elephants are among the most amazing creatures on Earth. They are so intelligent they often work together to change the landscape, from knocking down trees to digging holes for water. They are very protective of their family groups and they migrate over vast distances in herds for protection.

Elephants have been used in circuses and other performing acts for centuries. But in some parts of the world elephants are used for industrious labor because of their great strength, their powerful flexibility, and their intelligence. It's so sad to see how cruel people can be toward elephants, hunting them for sport and killing them for their ivory tusks.

Elphants have proven to have culture. They learn new skills and teach them to each other. They also have sophisticated relationships with each other, including close friendships. And they can form friendships with elephants in other groups, visiting each other often.

Unlike many other intelligent animals, elephants live many decades. Their lifespans are almost as long as human lifespans. They also reach full maturity about the same time humans do. And though scientists haven't yet fully learned how to communicate with them, we know now that elephants do have language.

Prairie Dogs and Meerkats

Prairie Dogs are native to North America. Meerkats are native to Africa. Because both species dig complex tunnel systems and live in large social groups, people ask if they are related. Prairie Dogs belong to the rodent family of mammals. Meerkats are part of the mongoose family. So, no, sadly, they're not very closely related.

If you've watched the TV show Meerkat Manor then you know how intelligent and crafty Meerkats can be. They're not only social, they plot against each other, compete for dominance, and have been known to fight wars. Of course, Meerkat Manor dresses up their daily life a bit with careful editing, but the Meerkats have their own complex culture.

Scientists still aren't sure if Meerkats have a type of language, but we've found that they do learn different alarm calls based on the types of predators threatening their family groups as they grow older. On the other hand, scientists have deciphered meaningful "words" in Prairie dog language. They have dialects and they can communicate meaningful abstract ideas to each other, like "human in red - nothing to worry about" and "everyone run - danger!"

Conclusion

Animal intelligence is an amazing thing to behold. It humbles me to think we share this planet with so many other intelligent creatures. It's true they don't build cities and spaceships the way we do. But they have their own cares and concerns. We don't understand how they think and feel. We only know that many of them do think and probably most animals have some kind of feelings.

We may one day contact alien species from other worlds, if they are out there. And I can't help but wonder if they will look at how we treated the other intelligent species on our planet and treat us with alarm and skepticism.

Humankind must learn to live in harmony with all animal life. We aren't yet ready to step onto the galactic stage and take part in a vast inter-species society. But maybe we still have time to learn how to get along with each other and our fellow species on this planet. If we ever encounter life on other worlds, I hope we've learned to live and let live by then.