# Just how smart is the average bear? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 1, 2013, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743 "2013-01-01T10:26:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/1 "2013-01-01T10:26:42Z")
Generally how smart are ursines? Are Pandas stupider because they forsake all the Omega-3 from fish? ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/2 "2013-01-01T10:32:00Z")
Very [smart](http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=GcPvMw731Eg&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGcPvMw731Eg). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/3 "2013-01-01T11:31:28Z")
Dumber than Yogi Bear… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/4 "2013-01-01T11:37:12Z")
[Some bears are dumber than others.](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/06/060613-cat-bear.html) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/5 "2013-01-01T15:33:02Z")
It depends. Does he play offense or defense? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/6 "2013-01-01T17:53:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Grizzly Bear VS Polar Bear: It’s a draw. Climate change is pushing these two species together into a battle for resources and wits—and most scientists’ money is on the grizzlies, whose stronger teeth and skulls will help them win a potential battle for scarce food. Disappearing Arctic ice, on which polar bears depend for hunting, will force them to turn to vegetarian food sources—something grizzlies are better designed to do. Grizzlies also have been found to have the largest and most complex brains of any land mammal relative to their size; they can recognize other animals they’ve seen as long as 20 years before. But don’t count out polar bears: There’s no scientific agreement on which species has the higher IQ, but some researchers believe polar bears have an intelligence roughly equal to the smartest primates - See more at: [http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/12/08/animal-iqs-which-is-the-smartest-animal/26219/#sthash.ewXHiCjt.dpuf](http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/12/08/animal-iqs-which-is-the-smartest-animal/26219/#sthash.ewXHiCjt.dpuf) ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/7 "2013-01-01T19:37:50Z")
Lions or tigers. Which is smarter than a bear? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/8 "2013-01-01T19:48:08Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > Are Pandas stupider because they forsake all the Omega-3 from fish? More likely because they are more herbivorous than other bears, and it takes less brains to sneak up on a bamboo than to catch a fish or find other prey. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/9 "2013-01-01T21:16:03Z")
> [@astro](#): > > from his quote: > some researchers believe polar bears have an intelligence roughly equal to the smartest primates > > See more at: [http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/12/08/animal-iqs-which-is-the-smartest-animal/26219/#sthash.ewXHiCjt.dpuf](http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/12/08/animal-iqs-which-is-the-smartest-animal/26219/#sthash.ewXHiCjt.dpuf) Hmmm aren’t humans primates? That’s a scary thought. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/10 "2013-01-01T21:21:46Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > Lions or tigers. Which is smarter than a bear? Cincinnati is in the playoffs, Detroit is at the bottom of their division, right below Chicago, tigers win this one. This year, at least. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/11 "2013-01-01T22:31:43Z")
Administering IQ tests to bears is a hazardous business. Few psychologists are willing to undertake it. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/12 "2013-01-01T22:56:23Z")
A Bear has never won The $10,000 Pyramid, much less Jeopardy. So we can safely assume that they are less smart than Charo. However, Gentle Ben had a longer run on TV than Chevy Chase’s late night show. So they got that goin’ for them. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/13 "2013-01-02T02:47:35Z")
> [@astro](#): > > - > > See more at: [http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/12/08/animal-iqs-which-is-the-smartest-animal/26219/#sthash.ewXHiCjt.dpuf](http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/12/08/animal-iqs-which-is-the-smartest-animal/26219/#sthash.ewXHiCjt.dpuf) I’m scared, not only do they say Grizzlies are smarter than polar bears, they say polar bears are smarter than the smartest primate. \*\*IOW: \*\*Grizzly \> Polar \> Human I think they’ll need more evidence for this assertion then the bears’ long memory. Then again… Do you remember when those Somali pirates attacked a battle-ready French warship in a rusty speedboat? Exceeding them isn’t a big achievement. > [@Colibri](#): > > More likely because they are more herbivorous than other bears, and it takes less brains to sneak up on a bamboo than to catch a fish or find other prey. It might not even be evolution’s fault; Pandas, like all ursines have the jaw and digestive system of a meat-heavy omnivore. Biologically speaking pandas are even more specialised towards meat than we are and I felt significantly less mentally agile on a diverse vegan diet compared to my typical pescetarian one. I couldn’t imagine how dumb I would be if I limited it to just grasses. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/14 "2013-01-02T04:00:33Z")
Having done a lot of backpacking in Yosemite in my younger years, I have to say that bears are _very_ smart when it comes to learning how to overcome all the tricks you use to keep your food safe from them. I hear that one recent summer in Yosemite Valley, a bear broke into a Camaro and found a great stash of food. 29 more Camaros got broken into that summer, since the bear recognized the shape. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/15 "2013-01-02T12:13:52Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > I hear that one recent summer in Yosemite Valley, a bear broke into a Camaro and found a great stash of food. 29 more Camaros got broken into that summer, since the bear recognized the shape. So what you are saying is that once the bear worked out how to get into one Camaro, he practiced his craft on others. Hmm, there’s another thing I wanted to know, can bears teach other bears? I know dolphins share acquired skills with other dolphins. ---
**Author:** ![Thuringwethil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@Thuringwethil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thuringwethil)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/16 "2013-01-02T18:16:38Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > So what you are saying is that once the bear worked out how to get into one Camaro, he practiced his craft on others. > > Hmm, there’s another thing I wanted to know, can bears teach other bears? I know dolphins share acquired skills with other dolphins. I think mama bears pass along skills to their offspring. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/17 "2013-01-02T18:32:20Z")
Not as smart as me! ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/18 "2013-01-02T19:06:59Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Not as smart as me! Their home is acres bigger than yours and the Federal Government is paying their mortgage. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/19 "2013-01-03T00:42:13Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > I hear that one recent summer in Yosemite Valley, a bear broke into a Camaro and found a great stash of food. 29 more Camaros got broken into that summer, since the bear recognized the shape. Maybe the bear just hates [douchebags](http://www.automotiveforums.com/t929833-top_10_douchebag_cars.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743/20 "2013-01-03T00:45:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Hmm, there’s another thing I wanted to know, can bears teach other bears? I know dolphins share acquired skills with other dolphins. There was a bear in the eastern US who figured out how to open bear kegs, and then went on to teach all her friends. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-smart-is-the-average-bear/645743.md?page=2)