Noise affects people in mostly negative ways. Animals also are said to be affected negatively by noise. A study has been made that shows that noise affects animals, especially those who use scent as a way of warning them of predators.
The study has been made by researchers from the University of Bristol. The researchers studied the behavior of dwarf mongooses in South Africa, according to Science Daily. For the study they played recordings which affected the way the dwarf mongooses were able to detect predators. Fecal samples of predators were left for the mongooses to smell, but with the noise they were not able to detect it. Even if they did detect it, the mongooses were less vigilant because of the noise.
For humans, noise can be detrimental as it can lead to less sleep, more stress and other such complications. The study shows that animals are also affected by manmade noise, Professor Andy Radford of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bradford said.
Animals are affected by noise since acoustic information of predators can be hidden by man-made noise. This makes them open to attack then. But it is not only acoustic information that is affected. Olfactory information is affected as well, lead author Amy Morris-Drake said. Animals have lesser ability to make decision making due to noise, which leads them to be confused and unable to identify scent.
The researchers used dwarf mongooses for the study since they are familiar with them, having been so close to them, as the University of Bristol's site reports. Through their experiment and observation, the team has discovered that road traffic noise has disrupted the dwarf mongooses' ability to be vigilant in danger and other predator cues.
Morris-Drake said that the ability to recognize danger cues is necessary for survival of many animals, as missing such cues might mean more predator attacks on them. The study also shows that one sensory channel affected can affect an animal's other senses as well.
A report earlier also says that snow leopards are threatened as more of them are killed.
