Soundscape response in animals

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) has long warned against chronic or extreme noise exposure as it has been shown to impact humans, as have the U.S. Surgeon General and a variety of academic and health research studies. Little is known about safe sound levels for animals, let alone safe frequency exposure for specific species. Behavioral and physiological response has been noted in human and non-human animals, most obviously fright and flight in the face of major stimuli such as thunder or gunshots at one end of the spectrum, down to minute stimuli such as the rustle of a leaf indicating the proximity of prey or a predator. Some animals are attracted or deterred by certain sounds, some mimic, in agriculture some become more or less productive according to their soundscape. To improve animal welfare, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums requires the enrichment of captive environments with the goal of increasing an animal’s behavioral choices and drawing out species-appropriate behavior. It has been noted that certain southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) altered their behavior in response to a variety of sound stimuli, including music, illustrating how the soundscape can be manipulated as a tool for animal enrichment.