Current Biology featured an article titled “The fear of the human ‘super predator’ pervades the South African savanna.”
Interestingly, the research indicated that it wasn’t the sounds of barking dogs or gunfire that frightened the animals the most. Instead, it was the mere sound of human dialogue. This noise instilled fear even in species typically seen as threats to humans, such as leopards, hyenas, and warthogs. The researchers surmised that the mere presence of humans intimidates wildlife. This situation adversely affects the African wildlife tourism sector and contributes to a decline in animal populations. There are justifiable reasons for the animals’ fear—we are one of the main factors contributing to species extinction—but there might be a way to channel this fear to aid in the conservation of certain species.
