Being with loved ones on Valentine’s Day—if only in our quarantine day dreams—offers a chance to revel in the joys of companionship and bonhomie. This year, many may spend V-Day tending to lockdown blues with reflections on human-centric communal experiences; however, the urge to be together certainly isn't unique to us. 

In fact, a growing body of research tells us that animals are capable of feeling, planning for one another, and cooperating in many of the same ways we are. “Cross-species relationships, and the extensive cooperation that we see among members of the same species trying to achieve a goal that'll serve them all, doesn't surprise me at all,” says Dr. Marc Bekoff, a behavioral ecologist. “It’s just we're learning. It seems like we’re learning new stuff every day.”

Dogs mourn. Crows plan ahead. And rats empathize. Almost every marker we've used to gauge our own cognition and sentience has now been observed in other species. But, we've only recently started to notice. 

For centuries we've measured intelligence based on human indicators (for instance, by whether large mammals like elephants recognize themselves in the mirror—which they absolutely do). But Dr. Frans de Waal, a primatologist and ethologist, challenges this notion by positing that gauging how adaptable a species is to its unique environment might make for a better measure of intelligence.  

"We misjudge the intelligence of animals because we judge them by our standards," says de Waal. "I think initially, most of the surprising things were found in chimpanzees, but almost everything we have been finding in chimpanzees that is remarkable has now been found in other species."

Across the animal kingdom, from wolves to ants, strategic coordination and mutualistic relationships have been observed, defying the thinking that animals are unable to think or feel. Rather, what science is finding is that they often think and feel in ways that aren't immediately recognizable to us. Here are five examples of animals that form meaningful partnerships and cooperate in ways we've rarely imagined. 

Eels hunt together.

Animals like lions are legendary for their pack hunting skills—they coordinate to stalk herds of antelope and zebras from several directions at once, encircling their prey—but such prowess has never been observed in eels. Well, not until now. Last year, Dr. David de Santana discovered eels hunting in packs in much the same way that large mammals do, albeit using a slightly different technique. De Santana's research led him to the Amazon, where large groups of eels corral fish into shallow water and then literally shock them out of the water, rendering them easier to catch. How this mutualistic process works: A few eels separate from the group and swim through the ball of fish they’ve corralled. In so doing, they emit coordinated electric shocks.

Bats have their friends' backs.

Bats get a bad rap. Their portrayal in spooky films has instilled in our collective psyche a sense of terror. But once you dig beyond literary tropes, bats might just make you feel all warm and fuzzy. One of the latest findings? They make friends. Documented last year by biologist Dr. Gerald Carter, the research builds on that of Dr. Larry C. Watkins, who three decades ago observed bats feeding one another. Carter's research established why bats feed each other and how they determine who is a friend versus foe. What he found was that we aren't the only species that cultivates friendships over a meal—bats’ cooperative feeding behavior may be born out of necessity, but it also shows a far greater capacity for complex thinking than we may have previously considered.

Vampire bats, specifically, have to feed at least once every 48 hours to stay alive. However, each nocturnal outing is no guaranteed success—some nights aren't in a bat’s favor. They've overcome these odds by preemptively playing nice with those around them. The gestures start out small: For instance, a bat might roost close to another bat one night for warmth. This can escalate to grooming, which in turn leads to feeding—when one bat hasn't been able to feed, a friend, or donor, often steps in to help that bat get through the night. And it's not just any bat that shares; they're always bats that have been previously observed helping one another out, which supports the idea that they're actually actively cultivating friendships.

Photo by Uwe Schmidt

Orcas have culture. 

Orcas are often referred to as the wolves of the sea because they hunt in packs, but research shows that they might share another wolf trait—cooperation. In Norway, the whales, which are actually large dolphins, mainly feed on herring. These fish are small and nimble—not the easiest prey for large cetaceans to catch. The orcas get around this using a technique called a “fish carousel,” through which they essentially corral the fish into a tight-knit ball while also edging them toward the surface of the water. Once the fish ball is sufficiently compact, one of the pod members slaps the shoal of fish with its tail, stunning and sometimes killing the fish. The effect leaves fish dazed and confused, making them easier to pick off. While at first glance this might look like a classic case of a predator chasing its prey, the technique requires a level of skill and planning that is highly sophisticated. 

“Each whale has a role. It’s like a ballet, so they have to move in a very coordinated way and communicate and make decisions about what to do next,” Tiu Similä, a cetacean biologist, told National Geographic magazine.

Furthermore, studies show that orcas use complex language to communicate. The series of clicks, tail slaps, and sonar they use is unique depending on where the orcas are located. For instance, orcas in Norway sound different than orcas in the Antarctic. It's almost like they have accents. Coupled with the fact that orcas also cooperatively hunt in different ways based on ecoregion, some suggest they have a distinct culture. 

Herons keep their friends close and their enemies closer. 

Group coordination isn't limited to the same species. Some animals have figured out ways to benefit from their neighbors, even when those benefits may not be obvious to us. A prime example is a population of great blue herons on the coast of British Columbia. This subspecies of blue heron has devised a way to improve its odds by sleeping with the enemy—quite literally. Bald eagles sometimes prey on heron chicks and eggs, so at first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking the leggy herons have miscalculated by buddying up to them. But you'd be wrong. 

Dr. Ross Vennesland, a wildlife ecologist based in Park, Canada, has observed large colonies of herons deliberately building their nests in areas where bald eagles are known to live—sometimes in the very same trees. That’s because the eagle’s territorial nature, as it turns out, tends to work in herons’ favor. The herons may take a risk in nesting near select resident eagle pairs, but if it works out, they’ve bought themselves built-in personal security. That’s because eagles fend off other eagles, meaning the herons reduce the number of killers in their midst. 

Groupers coordinate hunts with other species.

Land animals aren't the only ones capable of cross-species relationships. Groupers, large predatory fish (of which there are several sub-species), have been recorded working in partnership with octopuses and moray eels to flush out their prey. One study documented how the fish signal to other predators that there is a potential food source nearby. The grouper, being large and fleshy, can't reach into tiny cracks and crevices. So, it’ll send a signal to mollusks and other more flexible predators. (Think of said gesture as a sort of headstand in the location of the would-be dinner.) When the octopus or eel goes in to flush out the prey, it shoots out, making itself an easy snack. It's a toss-up as to who gets the food—the octopus or the grouper—but it's a remarkable illustration of how wild animals work together for collective gain. This sort of high-level, advanced thinking has been well documented in primates and corvids (crows), but not fish. It goes to show that all animals, in their own unique ways, are crafty.

These species, and many more like them, highlight the vast gap between what we know and how far we have to go in terms of understanding exactly how smart animals are. Even seasoned scientists are still amazed. “The fact that those unexpected things exist makes me wonder what other capacities are still hidden,” says ecologist Dr. Carl Safina. “And I'm guessing a lot is still hidden from us.”