My point was is that people (in my opinion) in general, do not think animals are automatons. They only need to see a domestic dog or cat to understand that.
But when they hear stories of crows bending a wire to use as a tool to get food, or an octopus sneaky enough to both leave its tank in an aquarium to get food, and then to cover its tracks to the point of replacing its lid back on its tank, they often ARE amazed.