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Fear Factor: Wildlife Response to Human Voices Over Lions Roar - A Study

Published October 18, 2023
1 years ago

A ground-breaking study conducted in South Africa's Greater Kruger National Park has ascertained that the mere sound of human speech is more likely to frighten wildlife than a lion's ferocious roar. Researchers harnessed hidden speaker-camera systems at various waterholes throughout the park to document thousands of animal encounters.



The study, published in Current Biology, revealed a startling fact: Animals fear human voices over a lion's growl. The speaker systems were set at crucial water sources and when activated by passing animals, produced a series of sounds including human speech, lion growls, bird sounds, gunshots, and dogs barking.


Most significant was the animal reaction to human speech. Conversational discussions in Afrikaans about ordinary life experiences triggered a pronounced fear response – causing even a leopard to drop its kill and flee.



Dr Michael Clinchy, a co-author of the paper, explained that animals were "twice as likely to flee from human voices than lion roars." Even in terms of speed, animals fled 40% faster upon hearing human voices compared to lion roars. The pattern of fear response to human voices was not confined to a specific class of animals; sizes ranged from a steenbuck to an elephant, casting a spotlight on the universal fear of human beings among the wildlife.


Zanette, the lead author, extended the findings to a broader, global context, citing that data from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia corroborate these results. Wildlife across the continents fear the human super predator more than apex predators in their ecosystems. Reflecting on the striking findings, Dr Clinchy commented, "humans are the best wildlife deterrents."


The study also explores in-depth the potential implications and applications of this fear in wildlife conservation efforts. Harnessing the fear response could prevent animals from venturing into dangerous territories or protect threatened species from predators. For instance, human audio could keep rhinos out of poaching hotspots or protect shorebirds in Florida from raccoons and coyotes.


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