11. Journey into the Minds of Animals

Alberto Angela offers us a fascinating journey into the minds of animals. How intelligent are they, and to what extent can they "talk" to us? We see how elephants and birds can solve complex problems that a child cannot. We meet Caesar, the dog who has learned hundreds of human words, Rio, the sea lion who knows numbers and the alphabet, and Panbanisha, the chimpanzee capable of engaging in simple yet clear conversation with humans. While being able to "talk" to animals is extraordinary, it is even more fascinating to delve into their communication, understanding the messages they exchange—like the subtle body movements of horses or the vocalizations of prairie dogs. If we can understand communication between other species, it is because we and they have much more in common than we normally imagine.