Are Honey Badgers One Of the World's Smartest Animals?

- Honey

badgers

are great. They have really complex ecological lives, very broad diets. So they need to climb, they need to dig. They perform these behaviors that indicate a high level of intelligence, but we haven't actually tested that yet. - Stoffel's most helpful son, Stumpy, and another rescued

honey

badger, Julius, accept the challenge. So far,

honey

badgers

have demonstrated problem-solving and adaptability. But in the third and final test, can they do something that marks them as one of the most intelligent

animals

on the planet? Use tools. - We have hung the box from a tree, so that the honey badger cannot reach it from above, nor from below.

The only way to reach it is to drag a tire or its cage underneath so you can then climb up and reach the food inside. (soft music) If, in fact, honey badgers can use tools, this puts them on a par with some of the most intelligent

animals

in the animal kingdom, such as chimpanzees or elephants. So it would be really exciting. - Each one has had that ability to escape, to carry an object to the side of the wall and get out. So the potential is definitely there. - It looks like you are just jumping and trying to get to the box, but not making the connection you need to get the box or tire closer.

He really wants it, but it seems like he doesn't know how to achieve it. - You see, he knows there's something there. -Mm, he's looking at it. (soft music) He pushed his box closer to the box, so he could then climb on top of the box and reach the box. Which indicates tool use and is really exciting. - Awesome. That's great. Yes, I must say. (dramatic music) - Giving them this puzzle box confirms what we have long suspected, that honey badgers are very good problem solvers, that they are very exploratory and adaptable. From what we've seen, they're right up there with the animal kingdom's leading innovators. - It is this intelligence, often misinterpreted as calculated and cunning, that gives these animals an advantage in the wild. (dramatic music)