A group of tourists in Australia came across what appeared to be an emergency: a kangaroo lying on the ground, weak and breathing with difficulty. Concerned, they approached to help it, while the animal squinted as if it were fading away.
But there was nothing seriously wrong. As soon as it felt the humans’ hands and attention, the kangaroo relaxed completely: it was all an act to get free food. And it worked.
The scene reopened the question of just how smart kangaroos really are. Scientific studies have already documented that these marsupials can communicate intentionally with humans when they need something, and that they use multi-step strategies to survive, such as luring predators toward water. This four-legged actor seems to have taken that social intelligence to another level.