Raccoons solve puzzles for the fun of it, new study finds

They raid compost bins, outsmart latches and sometimes look gleeful doing it. A new UBC study in Animal Behaviour suggests raccoons may not just be opportunistic—they may be genuinely curious.

UBC researchers Hannah Griebling and Dr. Sarah Benson-Amram from Zoology and Forest and Conservation Sciences, found raccoons continued solving puzzles long after retrieving the only food reward available. This behaviour reflects intrinsic motivation rather than hunger and is described as “information foraging,” because no additional food was given for continuing.