Gorilla can distinguish human voice

A new study from the University of Georgia shows for the first time that gorillas can recognize familiar human voices based on their relationship with the speaker

Researchers have found that when captive gorillas hear the voices of people they don’t know or who have had negative interactions with them, they react negatively

Although the focus of this research is on gorillas at Zoo Atlanta, the findings published in the journal Animal Cognition have broader implications for wild cousins ​​of captive animals

"I mainly study wild gorillas, and one of the disadvantages of working with wild primates is that through the process of habituation, we can make them more susceptible to hunters because they are used to seeing and hearing people

Animals can recognize sounds

All kinds of animals seem to be able to recognize and distinguish the sounds of the same species

"For example, babies can recognize the mother's voice and smell

This is a survival strategy

However, it is a bit unclear whether undomesticated animals can recognize human individuals

Studies have shown that dogs and cats can distinguish the voice of the owner from the voice of other people

Animals close to humans, such as crows, pigeons and even wild elephants, have also been shown to be able to distinguish between their familiar and unfamiliar sounds

Salmi and her team noticed that when certain people entered the gorilla's indoor enclosure, their reaction was negative

Apes may judge threats by their familiarity with human voices

In about 6 months, the research team played three groups of orangutan recordings: one group was a long-term breeder, who knew and worked with gorillas for at least 4 years, and had a positive relationship with them; people the apes knew , Including veterinarians and maintenance personnel, but have had bad interactions with them; and those who are not familiar with animals

Apes react very little to the voice of the breeder

Salmi said: "The first thing we see is what also happens in the wild: if there are any threats or unfamiliar sounds, they will stop what they are doing and concentrate

For gorillas, this is the first sign of vigilance

Salmi said: "Depending on whether humans are hunters or researchers, some primates can distinguish humans and respond differently to humans

Caroline Jones and Jodi Carrigan of the Atlanta Zoo are co-authors of the study
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Jones received a PhD in the Department of Psychology
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Journal Reference :

1. Roberta Salmi, Caroline E.
   Jones, Jodi Carrigan.
   Who is there? Captive western gorillas distinguish human voices based on familiarity and nature of previous interactions .
   Animal Cognition , 2021; DOI: 10.
   1007/s10071-021-01543-y