They are not only the kings of the jungle, but besides being great predators, having an incredible posture and their attitude and fierce roar, they are also the most intelligent felines that exist. You sure know who I'm talking about, do not you? Of the lions.

Lions are considered the most sociable cats. They live in groups and organize themselves into roles or activities. These cats feed on large animals

What makes animals intelligent?

The social intelligence of animals is said to have arisen by having to develop activities in community, such as knowing who are friends and enemies and strategies of survival that have allowed animals to develop mental and cognitive capacity.

This idea has been handled by specialists when researching animals such as dolphins, elephants and chimpanzees, but also applies to this social feline.

Analyzing the felines

Within cats there are a variety of nearby species that present different challenges, which leads them to develop their brains to a greater or lesser extent.

Seeking to demonstrate the lion's intelligence over the other felines, biologist Natalia Borrego and her team of specialists challenged 12 lion lions from the Lion Country Safari in Florida to analyze their cognitive abilities.

A wooden box with raw meat was presented to the lions, but in order to enjoy the food, they had to pull on the rope that came down from the box and was attached to the latch of a door.

11 lions could successfully solve the challenge, seven on their own and four after seeing the other lions solve it. And 10 of the 11 lions remembered the solution between 5 and 7 months later.

A surprising quality

According to the team of specialists, it is not so surprising that lions remember what they have learned in the past. But what does strike more attention is that some of them have been able to find the solution to see how they did others of their kind.

It is a behavior that, according to the team of specialists, is not usually seen in primates.

But that was not so, the team conducted a follow-up experiment using a conceptual puzzle. With the challenge they saw that lions had more skills than leopards and tigers.

The difference could be that they are solitary animals, so they have not developed the intelligence necessary to live in community.

In turn, habitat and diet could also be factors that experts say influence cognitive abilities.

Whether it's the skills they need to live in a community, the habitat they live in, or the food they eat, it's clear that lions, as well as large predators, are the felines with the larger brain.

Did you know they were so smart?