They have broad social abilities too, like distinguishing individuals out of a group; communicating with each other through touch, smell, sound, and sight; and learning to pick up on the verbal and nonverbal cues of humans. Researchers have even found that pigs are able to use tools and play video games!
Pigs are gentle creatures with surprising intelligence. Studies have found they're smarter than dogs and even 3-year-old children! In the wild, pigs form small groups that typically include a few sows and their piglets.
Pigs have the intelligence of a human toddler and are ranked as the fifth most intelligent animal in the world! In fact, pigs are more intelligent and trainable than any breed of dog. They learn their names in just two weeks and come when they're called.
The evidence has been mixed; some studies state that pigs are clearly smarter than dogs, while others conclude that as far as intelligence goes, the differences are negligible. There is no question, however, that pigs are intelligent, communicative, curious, and even creative.
CHIMPANZEES. RECKONED to be the most-intelligent animals on the planet, chimps can manipulate the environment and their surroundings to help themselves and their community. They can work out how to use things as tools to get things done faster, and they have outsmarted people many a time.
Koalas have the smallest brains of any known mammals, and their behavior can be compared to someone who is high.
Dolphins are often cited as the second smartest animals on Earth due to their relatively high brain-to-body size ratio, the capacity to show emotion, and impressive mimicry of the dumb apes who research them.
Studies of emotion in pigs reveal that they are sensitive and complex animals. Pigs exhibit emotional contagion, a capacity thought to be the basis for empathy, or the ability to feel the emotional state of another.
Many would say it's because dogs are human's best friend, while juicy burgers and sizzling bacon taste like greasy nectar from the gods. Domestication and taste preferences aside, when it comes to intelligence, pigs actually outsmart dogs.
As they are transported to slaughter, pigs are likely to experience a day or two of harsh temperatures, severe dehydration and hunger, deliberate electrocution, pain, and stress. Despite the process of slaughter being so horrific, the demand for pig bodies in the form of pork products remains high.
We all know Dolphins are intelligent, in fact Dolphins are listed as the animal third in intelligence, after pigs and chimpanzees.
Pigs are affectionate animals and they do seek out human attention. However, they don't want to be held or “thumped.” They do want to snuggle up with you after a long day and take a snooze while you watch TV. They want to flop over for belly rubs and will run up to you if you've been gone for a while.
Within the encephalization quotient proposed by Jerison in 1973, values above one are classified big-brained, while values lower than one are small-brained. The domestic cat is attributed a value of between 1–1.71; relative to human value, that is 7.44–7.8.
Pigs are definitely smart enough to understand human hand gestures, she adds. “Pigs can be trained to follow a human hand to receive a reward,” says Horback, who has trained many adult female pigs to follow her hand in order to use a touch screen or joystick with their snout to receive food rewards.
Pigs are also very loyal to each other as well as their human companions. Many instances of pigs saving the lives of humans, and protecting and fighting for other pigs in their social group, have been documented.
In their natural state, pigs are very clean animals. They keep their toilets far from their living or feeding areas. They are much more tolerant of colder temperatures than heat. Pigs have no sweat glands so they can't sweat.
Breeding, raising, killing and eating a pig violates that pig's right to be free, regardless of how well the pig is treated. While the public is becoming more aware of factory farming and demanding humanely raised and slaughtered meat, animal rights activists believe that there is no such thing as humane slaughter.
Family pigs prefer their owner's company as dogs do, but they might not like strangers.
Pigs are very clean animals
In fact, they're some of the cleanest animals around and refuse to defecate where they sleep and eat if given the choice.
Kissing. When a pig presses its snout against you or another pig, it's a sign of endearment! Pigs give snout kisses to those they love, and you're certainly encouraged to give a kiss right back if you'd like. A kiss can also signify a desire for attention, so go ahead and give your pig some pats too if it feels right.
A pig will usually grunt, bark, or squeal when angry.
Pigs are very social and form close bonds with people and other animals. They show affection by grooming each other, and they love getting belly rubs!
Koalas. Koalas are not only extremely cute, they're smart, too! The marsupials know how to listen to their bodies and can dive into a deep sleep for an average of 22 hours a day. Koalas snack on eucalyptus leaves, which aren't high in nutrients—the abundant rest makes this diet possible.
Chimpanzees
We share 99 percent of our DNA with chimpanzees, so it comes as no surprise that countless hours of research have been dedicated to understanding the intelligence and behavior of our sister species. This research has firmly established that chimps are one of the most intelligent species on earth.
The human brain is about three times as big as the brain of our closest living relative, the chimpanzee. Moreover, a part of the brain called the cerebral cortex – which plays a key role in memory, attention, awareness and thought – contains twice as many cells in humans as the same region in chimpanzees.