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

[erronis]

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-raccoons-puzzles-fun.html
Lou Bosshart, University of British Columbia

Raccoon interacting with puzzle box. Credit: Hannah Griebling

They raid compost bins, outsmart latches and sometimes look gleeful doing it. A new 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 found raccoons continued solving puzzles long after retrieving the only food reward available. This behavior reflects intrinsic motivation rather than hunger and is described as "information foraging," because no additional food was given for continuing.
Nine ways in--and they kept going

Researchers used a custom multi-access puzzle box with mechanisms such as latches, sliding doors or knobs. The box had nine entry points, grouped as easy, medium and hard. In each 20-minute trial, the puzzle box contained a single marshmallow, yet raccoons often continued opening new mechanisms after eating it, a clear sign of information-seeking.

"We weren't expecting them to open all three solutions in a single trial," said Griebling. "They kept problem solving even when there was no marshmallow at the end."

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[IA8IT]

1. Stuck in a lab cage what else you gonna do?