Scientist claims to understand animal language (10 photos + 2 videos)

Many people dream of finding out what pets mean when they make sounds. One scientist nicknamed "the real-life Doctor Dolittle" claims to already be able to determine the meaning of animal sounds. Dr Arik Kershenbaum, an expert at the University of Cambridge, can decipher what animals are saying.





Dr Arik Kershenbaum, an expert from the University of Cambridge, claims to understand what the animals are saying. According to him, every sound they make has a certain meaning. At the same time, to understand the meaning of “statements”, it is not enough just to listen. It is also important to know what the animal is doing at this moment.

"Animals have evolved communication because it benefits them - and of course, it always carries meaning. If you listen to male birds singing, the meaning might be: 'This is my territory' or 'I'm ready to mate.'" The howl of wolves can also express different feelings: loneliness, happiness, fear or anxiety,” says the doctor.



Howl of a wolf





To “decipher” animal sounds, the doctor uses special software to study the sound more closely. For example, in the photo above there is a diagram of a wolf howling. From the video recording, the expert determined that this wolf was alone, and perhaps separated from its pack, and was trying to find relatives.

"It's a long, steady howl that doesn't change in tone. It's typical of lone wolves. Wolves howl this way when they want to stay in touch with their pack at a distance, or when lone males are looking for a mate," Kershenbaum explained.



Dolphin sounds



The doctor also studied the sounds of dolphins, one of the most difficult phenomena to study. He studied the peculiar whistle that they sometimes use and determined that dolphins whistle as a greeting: this is how they greet another individual. At the same time, dolphins use “signature” whistles, unique to each animal. These whistles are so unique that dolphins even develop a regional accent depending on where they live.



Pigs grunting



Despite how they are often portrayed, pigs are extremely intelligent and have strong emotional and social bonds. The doctor determined that when a pig grunts quickly, calmly, with short breaks, and in the presence of relatives, they tell them who is nearby and that everything is in order.

"However, in highly intelligent animals such as pigs, these sounds can contain a lot of additional information. The grunts may contain information about what food is nearby, or more detailed information about the animal's well-being. For example, "Get out of the way, I'm hungry," - says Kershenbaum.



Singing of the red cardinal