In Africa, wildlife fears one thing more than any other. Certainly, lions—with powerful paws, muscular builds, sharp eyesight, lightning-fast reflexes, and devastating fangs—are predators no animal wants to face. They also hunt in groups.
“Lions are the largest land predators that hunt in groups, making them the most terrifying,” said biologist and ecologist Michael Clinchy from Western University in Canada.
However, more than 10,000 wildlife recordings from the African savanna showed that 95 percent of animal species reacted with far more fear to the sound of a completely different creature. That creature is humans.
We are the monsters that strong beasts fear. Yet, there’s nothing to boast about
“The fear of humans is deep-rooted and pervasive. There’s a belief that wildlife can become accustomed to humans if they are not hunted. But our research showed that this is not the case,” Clinchy said.
Together with colleagues, he played a series of sounds that animals coming to drink at Kruger National Park in South Africa would hear. The researchers recorded the animals’ reactions, as reported by ScienceAlert.
By the way, this protected area is home to the largest population of the vulnerable Panthera leo species—lions—apex predators that pose a real danger to other animals.
During the experiment, the researchers played snippets of human conversations in local languages and English, hunting sounds including the barking of dogs, and gunshots. The recordings also included fragments of lion calls.
However, not all participants in the experiment appreciated the researchers’ efforts. As co-author Liana Zanett recounted, “One night, the recording of lions so enraged an elephant that it charged at the sound and just smashed everything around.”
Meanwhile, 19 species of mammals observed by the team left the watering holes twice as often after hearing a human voice compared with when they heard lions or even hunting sounds. Among these mammals were rhinos, elephants, giraffes, leopards, hyenas, zebras, and warthogs. Many of them can be dangerous in their own right.
“It was the sounds of human speech that triggered the strongest avoidance response. This indicates that wild animals perceive humans as a real threat,” the scientists wrote in their report.
This is worrying given that populations of many savanna species are steadily declining. The fear of humans only makes that worse.
“Widespread fear among savanna mammals shows the harmful impact humans have on the environment. It’s not just about animals losing territory or climate change. Our mere presence in these areas signals danger, and animals react strongly. They are more terrified of humans than of any other predator,” Zanett said.
The results of the study were published in the journal Current Biology.
Photo: Unsplash
