  We introduce an idealized model of an intelligent forager in which higher
intelligence corresponds to a larger spatial range over which the forager can
detect food. Such a forager diffuses randomly whenever the nearest food is more
distant than the forager's detection range, $R$, and moves ballistically
towards the nearest food inside its detection range. Concomitantly, the
forager's metabolic energy cost per step is an increasing function of its
intelligence. A dumb forager wanders randomly and may miss nearby food, thus
making it susceptible to starvation. Conversely, a too-smart forager incurs a
large metabolic cost per step during its search for food and is again
susceptible to starvation. We show that the forager's lifetime is maximized at
an optimal, intermediate level of intelligence.
