Nicola Davis reports Big cats can tell apart known and unknown human voices, study finds (‘Tigers, cheetahs and snow leopards, like domesticated cats, respond differently to familiar and unfamiliar voices’):
From tigers to cheetahs, big cats may seem majestically aloof but researchers have found they can tell apart familiar and unfamiliar human voices, suggesting that even animals that shun group living are far from socially inept.
While cats are often portrayed as somewhat standoffish, researchers have previously found that domesticated felines can tell apart the voice of their owner from that of other humans.
Now researchers have found the pets’ exotic cousins, including tigers, cheetahs and cougars, also have an ear for different tones – at least when living in captivity.
Prof Jennifer Vonk, of Oakland University, in Rochester, Michigan, who co-authored the research, said the findings could reflect the need for such animals in the wild to identify their own cubs and keep tabs on who might be in their neighbourhood. She said the skill could also help them pay attention to alarm calls from other species.