h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi,

I'm from Germany and read your story with a big grin. If the keas are as intelligent as you said, and as unscrupulousness as lena said we should import them to replace our politicians.

Well, unscrupulous, I don't know about that... as I just replied to Lena, they're only making use of a resource... And besides, I think that comparing keas to politicians does a pretty big dis-service to the keas. Most people in NZ actually LIKE keas...

Well, unscrupulous, I don't know about that... as I just replied to Lena, they're only making use of a resource... And besides, I think that comparing keas to politicians does a pretty big dis-service to the keas. Most people in NZ actually LIKE keas...

There was a recent BBC programme where they tried to find the most intelligent animal. As far as I can remember the kea won (or maybe was second). The programme showed the way they could adapt and learn so quickly by setting them increasingly difficult problems to solve with a piece of cheese as the reward. For some problems, the kea managed to get the cheese by improvising, instead of completing the task in the way it was designed. I'd never heard of them before, but they're remarkable birds.

Just a breif Kea war story. Fastest 100 metres I've ever seen run was by a Hughes 500 pilot, who left his helicopter parked with the door open, wandered over to some near by skiers, who pointed out the Kea who'd hopped inside as soon as he'd left and started dismantling his headset.

Very good. Parrots will do that- and I know...

However, I thought African Greys were the most intelligent parrots. I could be wrong, though.