Goats can find food by following a human voice, according to a new study published in Royal Society Open Science. The experiments showed that 29 goats moved towards a treat-filled bucket 60% of the time when guided by a researcher's voice.
Study Details
Researchers from the University of Zurich placed two buckets on either side of a wooden screen. Goats were familiarized with the setup by being called by name from behind the screen while food was visibly placed in one bucket. During tests, a researcher hid behind the screen, placed uncooked pasta in one bucket, and then either spoke excitedly towards the baited bucket, remained silent, or spoke while facing away. Another researcher released the goat and recorded its movements.
On average, goats moved towards the treat-filled bucket 60% of the time when the researcher spoke excitedly in its direction. When the researcher was silent or spoke away from both buckets, success rates dropped to 47% and 49%, respectively, no better than chance.
Implications
Lead author Dr. Stuart Watson said the findings may shed light on cognitive changes that help species become more compatible with human living, which could be important for animal welfare. The team notes that goats have previously shown sensitivity to human cues, such as following pointing gestures and distinguishing emotions in voices.
Senior author Prof. Simon Townsend highlighted the parallels between humans and other animals, noting that this study adds to evidence that communication skills are not unique to humans. Future research could explore wild goats to determine if the ability is innate.
