The study shows a global pattern where wildlife tend to fear humans more than any other predator. Image: Pixabay
Kruger Park study: Animals fear human voices more than the sound of lions
A recent study conducted in SA has revealed that human voices instill significantly more fear in wild mammals than the growls of lions.
The study shows a global pattern where wildlife tend to fear humans more than any other predator. Image: Pixabay
The research was carried out in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, where scientists concealed speakers at water holes to play recordings of people speaking in a normal tone.
The study observed that approximately 95% of the animals were extremely frightened upon hearing human voices and swiftly retreated. In contrast, the growls and snarls of lions were far less alarming to the wildlife.
ALSO READ: Rare white lion cub born at Ngala in Kruger Park – PICTURES
Notably, the recordings of human speech included local languages commonly spoken in the region. Some elephants, when confronted with the lion calls, even attempted to investigate the source of the sound.
The findings of the study suggest that the animals, which included antelope, elephants, giraffes, leopards and warthogs, have learned to associate humans with extreme danger, possibly due to hunting, firearm use and the deployment of dogs for tracking and capturing them.
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This heightened fear of humans is not limited to the Kruger National Park and shows a global trend where wildlife tend to perceive humans as a more significant threat than any other predator, the study found.
The implications of this research present a challenge for regions reliant on wildlife tourism, as human visitors inadvertently frighten off the very animals they have come to see.
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On the plus side, the study’s findings also raise the possibility of employing human sounds strategically to deter illegal poaching and protect vulnerable species in these ecosystems.
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Meanwhile, only the fifth known white lion in the wild has been born within Ngala Private Game Reserve’s resident Birmingham pride. Ngala was the first Private Nature Reserve to be incorporated into the Kruger National Park. Read more here.
