Did you know that these 3 animals know how to count?  

asks like counting, adding, subtracting and multiplying are essential for navigating through life. Whether it’s shopping for groceries or calculating how many days until summer vacation, math is an indispensable part of our life. But do you ever wonder if humans are the only ones who can do the math? Well, it is definitely not so! Some animals, other than us, can also count and perform complex mathematical tasks. While they may not understand the Pythagorean theorem, these animals will astound you with their intelligence. Let’s take a look at these smart animals and learn more about their abilities! 

Chickens count eggs  
Were you able to count when you were 3 years old? Maybe no. But baby chickens can count at a very early age! In an experiment conducted by researchers at the universities of Padova and Trento in Italy, baby chicks could add and subtract objects. Now, that is amazing, isn’t it? The chicks were kept in a container with a clear transparent front. The tiny area in front of them had plastic eggs suspended from a fishing line. The eggs were then made to disappear behind a screen one by one. This was the division, three eggs behind one screen and two behind the other screen. The chicks were then freed from the containers into the open area. Which screen did the chicks choose? They could pick the screen that was hiding more eggs, that is the screen hiding three eggs!  

This was the first stage of the experiment. For the second stage, the researchers moved some of the eggs from one screen to another. This time too, the chicks could pick the screen hiding more eggs! Almost 80% of the time, the chicks correctly chose the screen with more eggs! Now you might not think of chickens as animals who can only lay eggs because they can also do basic maths! 

Chimpanzees are able to count the maximum number of treat  
Chimpanzees are far more intelligent than you might think. In comparison to other animals, they can perform advanced math. In an intriguing experiment, two sets of bowls with chocolate pieces were placed in front of a chimp. And they ended up choosing the set with the most treats 90% of the time! What is surprising is that their mental math speed is comparable to that of a college student! In another study conducted at Duke University, North Carolina, USA, a group of college students and two monkeys were asked to add and subtract dots flashed on a screen. Both monkeys and humans responded in less than a second!  

Tunisian ants count their steps 
Tunisian ants, in addition to counting, can also perform geometry! In the desert area of Tunisia, ants find it difficult to trace their way back home after a long day searching for food. This is because the windswept saltpans of Tunisia make tracking a scent trail impossible. There are no prominent landmarks in the desert for these poor ants to use. So how do they find their way back home? To find an answer, researchers at the University of Zürich in Switzerland conducted an experiment. They found that these ants were counting their steps back and forth from their home! They also found that turns and roundabouts can’t throw ants off their math game. They can even calculate angles considering the position of the sun. The ants find their way by counting their steps and using the position of the sun! Fascinating, right?