Found out raccoons can remember solutions for 3 years, blew my mind

Was reading a wildlife study from UBC last night, apparently they tested raccoons on puzzle boxes and they still solved them years later. I've been dealing with one that keeps opening my garage bin in Kelowna, now I get why he never forgets. Anyone else got a critter that's too smart for its own good?

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1 Comment

the_derek5h ago

Nah the 3 year thing is kinda off, I think that study was more like they remembered for a few months, not years. The UBC paper you're talking about, I remember reading it too, they tested raccoons after 10 months and they still nailed the puzzle boxes. But 3 years is a stretch, that was a different study with a smaller group, and even then it was only like 70 percent of them that remembered. Still crazy smart though, mine figured out the bungee cord on my bin in like two nights. Honestly it's worse that they learn from watching each other too, so once one cracks your setup the whole neighborhood knows. Maybe try a latch that needs two different moves at once, that seems to slow them down for a bit.