By Andrew L. Jaffee

So animals aren’t smart? Just ask Oscar the cat — or note that crows employ and/or make tools. Researchers studying our avian friends found that New Caledonian crows “can use separate tools in quick succession to retrieve an out-of-reach snack,” and concluded “that because the birds were able to solve [a] problem on their first attempt they were using analogical reasoning rather than trial and error.” From the BBC:

…The birds surprised the scientists with their quick thinking.

Alex Taylor, lead author of the paper, said: “The creative thing the crows did was to use the short stick to get the long tool out of the box so that they could then use the long stick to get the meat.”

Russell Gray, another author of the paper, told the BBC News website: “What is most amazing is that most of them did this on the first trial. …

Crow after bending a wire into a hook — making a tool.

Don’t believe me? Watch the crows at work here, or from a previous study here.

People still seem to need “proof” that animals possess intelligence or have souls. But if you’ve ever camped in a park that has ravens or bears, gone whale watching, had an ant farm, had a pet cat or dog, etc., you’d of already seen the light…