Scientists make troubling discovery when analyzing footage from animal reserve: 'It was not just one'
Researchers from the University of Georgia studied animals for two years in Namibia, Africa, and found that the presence of humans was causing many of them to change their behaviors.
According to Earth.com, researchers placed cameras at waterholes and looked at their behavior before tourists were present, while they were present, and after they left.
What's happening?
When people were around, the study observed animals coming to the waterhole earlier than they previously were or coming to them later.
Jessy Patterson, study lead and doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia, said: "It was not just one species that altered their behavior."
The study focused on the African lion, brown hyena, black-backed jackal, and spotted hyena. These predators typically frequent waterholes and hunt at night, but they started visiting the waterholes during the day. They likely were not used to people at the waterholes at night, which shifted their behavior.
As predator species changed their habits, so did the prey species, including mountain zebra, plains zebra, springbok, and duiker. These species were shifting their routines to avoid their predators. Since these predators came out during the day, they started visiting the waterholes at night.
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Not all herbivore species changed their routines, though. The animals that didn't change their behavior are at greater risk to predator species because they are out when the carnivores are.
Why is animals changing their habits concerning?
Some herbivores being out when their predators are out could change the population dynamics between the two, affecting the ecosystem.
According to National Geographic, when the Yellowstone Park wolves were eradicated due to hunting, the elks overgrazed because they didn't have their main predator. This had a domino effect on the ecosystem: Smaller animals, such as rabbits and mice, had nowhere to hide from predators, and their population declined. The elks even ate the berries that the Grizzly bears relied on.
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The study published in the Journal of Zoology isn't the only research showing animals changing routines due to humans. Mountain lions in LA are also changing their habits due to increased levels of hikers, joggers, and cyclists.
What's being done about wildlife changing their habits?
According to Earth.com, tourism is a big part of protecting wildlife, but as this study shows, tourism also impacts animals. It's essential to strike a balance between the two.
Tourism will only grow, so scientists and conservationists must find ways for eco-tourism and wildlife to coexist.
One way you can help is to vacation responsibly. This means following the safety rules of national parks, which are there for your safety and the animals' safety and will likely evolve as scientists learn more about wildlife's changing behavior around humans.
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Scientists make troubling discovery when analyzing footage from animal reserve: 'It was not just one' first appeared on The Cool Down.
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