I think that people then and now believe certain animals have mystical powers. We "modern" people would not admit this out loud, but there are innate reactions to the appearance and behavior of various animals that have made Disney rich. I bet I could find people living right now who believe snakes have mystical wisdom in the usual sense of the word.
But based on your equation of successful=wise, all living things are wise and the meaning is diluted to nothing. There is no such thing as a type of living organism that is not successful.
Dodo bird ?