When we talk about intelligence, we often think of humans as the clear frontrunners. But at a closer look, we find nature is full of animals showing remarkable brainpower in ways that surprise even scientists. Some display memory skills that rival our own, others craft tools or solve puzzles with a level of reasoning that challenges everything we thought we knew about non-human intelligence.

What ties all these creatures together isn’t just intelligence in the human sense, but adaptability, emotional depth, and a knack for problem-solving in their environments.

Here are some of the smartest animals on the planet , and the surprising ways they show it.

Chimpanzees

Our closest living relatives share nearly 99% of our DNA, and it shows in their brainpower. Chimpanzees use tools, learn

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