Did you know goats can sense emotions by listening to human voices?

According to a study led by Prof Alan McElligott and Dr. Marianne Mason at the University of Hong Kong, goats can detect basic human emotions solely through vocal signals. 

Goats were exposed to voice recordings with varied emotional valences during the experiment.

When the emotional content changed, 75% of the goats paid close attention to the source of the sound.

This sensitivity reveals goats' emotional intelligence and provides new insights into human-livestock interactions.

Understanding how animals interpret human emotions is critical for their well-being and care, especially given how frequently cattle interact with human voices.

Negatively charged voices, such as rage, can generate fear in animals, whilst pleasant ones can foster relaxation and aid in human-animal connection.

This study advances understanding the animal behavior and emotional experiences by underlining the significance of taking emotional variables into account when treating livestock.