Scientists have researched why bears are intelligent animals and why their cognitive abilities are greater than expected. Researchers have tried to find out the factors that make them intelligent animals.
Much remains to be learned about the knowledge and intelligence of bears, but studies have shown that they are more intelligent than we thought. For example, black bears have been shown to be able to count, distinguish between different classes of objects, and recognize images on a computer screen as real objects. They are very skilled, can use tools, and have an excellent sense of smell.
Bears can be intelligent because they are naturally curious and must adapt to survive in challenging environments. Unlike other social animals that they are, bears are generally solitary, so their brains may not have evolved to respond to social situations. Instead, their intelligence helps them adapt quickly to their surroundings. They need a large brain compared to their body size to respond well.
Despite bears having the largest brains of any carnivore, there has been surprisingly little research on their cognitive abilities. Most of the research in these fields is conducted in the laboratory. Whereas in the past more emphasis was given to research on small animals such as rats and pigeons. Bears are rarely used in such studies, although they are considerably more intelligent than these small animals. Then there are logistical challenges to testing them. Nevertheless, researchers like Jennifer Vonk of Oakland University have worked to fill the gaps in our understanding of bears since 2012.