Animals in South African wildlife are more afraid of people than lions: study

Lions, as the largest group predators, are the most feared.

Despite lions’ strength, speed and hunting ability, a recent study found that African savannah animals are more afraid of people than lions. According to environmental biologist Michael Clinchy of Western University in Canada, lions are the most to be feared because they are the largest land predators and hunt in packs.

“Normally, if you are a mammal, you will not die from disease or starvation. What really ends your life is the predator, and the bigger you are, the bigger the predator that will finish you off.” “,” says co-author Michael Clinchyalso an environmental biologist at Western University. “Lions are the largest land-based predators that hunt in groups on the planet, and therefore they should be the scariest, so we compare the fear of humans with the fear of lions to find out whether humans are scarier than the most feared non-human predator.”

But after studying more than 10,000 recordings of wild animal reactions, scientists found that 95% of animals were more afraid of human noise than lion roars. The idea that animals would adapt to humans if they were not killed is belied by the widespread and deep-seated fear of humans.

A research team from Western University played recordings of various sounds to animals near bodies of water in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa. Even in a protected area known for its large lion population, the animals responded more strongly to human sounds, showing that humans are seen as a serious threat.

“We put the camera in the bear box not because there are bears in South Africa, but because of the hyenas and leopards that love to chew on them,” says first author Liana I Zanetteenvironmental biologist from Western University in Canada. “One night, a recording of a lion made this elephant so angry that he charged at him and just smashed the whole thing.”

“I think the spread of fear among Savannah mammals is real evidence of the impact of humans on the environment,” Zanette says. “Not just because of habitat loss, climate change and species extinction, which is very important. But our mere presence on this landscape is enough of a danger signal to which they react very strongly. They are scared to death of people, even more so.” than any other predator.”