we fail to perceive the intelligence of the animals around us.

I recent had a tiny hole in my floor through which mice came in (via the crawlspace) and foraged for food in the kitchen - evidenced by their droppings.

Mice/Rats have co-evolved with humans to be very intelligent, and the traps I laid out could not catch them - perhaps because i did not wear gloves, and they could perceive human scent. They could navigate paths around the home in complete darkness return back via the entrypoint. amazing.

I am convinced they can communicate with each-other, and they are very social, and are learning machines just as we humans are. I am also convinced that they are explorers - exploring the space around them for food using their keen sense of smell.

The way I got rid of them is not by trapping them, but by removing all exposed food sources, and blocking entrypoints, so they learnt that that it was pointless to come in.

Here’s an interesting, somewhat-related tidbit I learned recently: in Churchill, Manitoba (the polar bear capital of the world), it is customary for locals to leave their car doors unlocked in case someone needs a quick escape from a polar bear.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill,_Manitoba#Polar_bear...