Meet world's smartest animals: Tool-using cow to word-savvy dogs

Animals have often amazed humans with their jaw-dropping skills but only a few have been able to stun us with their intelligence.

These creatures, often referred to as animal Einsteins, have intelligence that is truly out of ordinary. 

One such cow recently made headlines when she used a tool to scratch her back, marking the first documented case of its kind.

Veronika: The tool-using cow

A paper published in the journal Current Biology on January 19 reveals that the cow in the Austrian village of Carinthia, named Veronika, showcased extraordinary intelligence as she learned to use sticks to scratch her back.

The paper states that it marks the first recorded case of a pet cow using a tool for a specific purpose, adding, “Veronika used different parts of the same tool for different purposes while applying different techniques.”

Cooper the Shih Tzu

Another one of the world’s smartest animals is Cooper, the Shih Tzu (a pet dog), possessing the ability to sort shapes. 

The pet animal, also known as “the canine Einstein”, rose to fame after its owner from Lancashire claimed that it had an IQ of 142, placing it above the average human.

Harvey the Border Collie

Another animal that has amazed humanity is Harvey the Border Collie, famously known as Britain's brightest dog. According to his 52-year-old owner, Irene Hewlett, the pet dog has learned 221 words and can fetch a toy by name alone.

Several studies have declared the dog to be a gifted learner, having a special ability to learn the connection between words and objects.