If you never expected a bird to be as clever as a human child, this video of a raven playing with a toy will blow your mind.
Toronto Zoo in Canada filmed Bran, one of its resident ravens, using a children’s shape-matching toy with great skill, in return for treats.
Posting the video to Facebook, the zoo said: “Bran lives in our Kids Zoo and keepers provide him with a variety of enrichment including a shape-matching toy, which he has clearly mastered.”
Bet you never thought of gifting a raven a game of Connect 4 for Christmas! ??Bran lives in our Kids Zoo and Keepers provide him with a variety of enrichment including a shape matching toy, which he has clearly mastered This behavior mimics their natural tendency to hide or ‘cache’ extra food and novel objects that they find in the wild. Ravens are very smart animals and are one of the few species that can learn to use tools. Connect 4 will add a new ‘tool’ to Bran’s enrichment options, providing a mental challenge and allowing Keepers to demonstrate his incredible intelligence. You can donate Connect 4 for Bran from our Enrichment Giving Tree, or another item of your choice to a different species, by visiting our Enrichment Giving Tree in Zootique, or online at http://bit.ly/2BkAYWi #GivingTree
Posted by The Toronto Zoo on Thursday, November 29, 2018
The zoo said: “This behaviour mimics their natural tendency to hide or ‘cache’ extra food and novel objects that they find in the wild. Ravens are very smart animals and are one of the few species that can learn to use tools.”
Despite their small size, ravens are remarkably intelligent. Studies have found that the species can use tools, pre-plan tasks, and even hold grudges against cheats.
