The All Creatures Podcast

We released this episode originally in 2022 but is worth a relisten! Capuchin monkeys have long captured human imagination and for good reason. With complex social lives, remarkable problem-solving abilities, and some of the most sophisticated tool use seen outside of apes, capuchins challenge what we think intelligence in animals really means. In this episode, we dive deep into the world of capuchin monkeys, with a special focus on white-faced capuchins. We explore their behaviours, communication, culture, and cognition examining why many scientists consider them among the most intelligent monkeys on Earth. Out of the 22 recognised capuchin species, the majority are now facing population decline, habitat loss, and mounting extinction pressure. Understanding their intelligence makes their conservation all the more urgent. This episode is a reminder that intelligence isn’t uniquely human—and that some of our closest evolutionary mirrors are disappearing quietly in the forests of the Americas. If you’re f