I remember hearing somewhere that there was this genius female crow that had mastered using a stick as a tool. She was teaching this skill to her children. Reminds me of the monkeys that became excellent swimmers. I wonder what the IQ of the average raccoon might be? Apparently they are one of the few wild animals that have successfully adapted to an urban environment. It is quite common for them to scale apartment/condo buildings in order to chow down on the cat food. I have heard them many times playing on the roof of my building during the more temperate months.