Zoo Internquest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventures here on the Zoo’s website!
This week interns visited Dr. Matt Anderson, the Director of the BehavioralEcology at the Institution for Conservation Research, and Ms. Jennifer Tobey, an Institute Researcher of 18 years. “Don’t just watch the animals but take a listen at what they’re saying…” said Dr. Anderson. Both Dr. Anderson and Ms. Tobey focus on the audio aspects of animal behaviors and how noises can tell about their reproductive patterns and wellbeing. Just like humans like communicate, animals chatter with each other on a daily basis.
To start, Ms. Tobey works with the Koala Conservation Project. Many of us were surprised to learn that koalas have the ability to create a variety of vocalizations. Their noises tend to be deeper rumblings and are made by the males year round. Surprisingly, the males tend to be chattier than the females. Even though the males tend to be more chatty, it is still only a small amount of noise coming from koalas, which can be a challenge for researchers like Ms. Tobey who needs as much audio data as possible. However, this is often difficult due to the hustle and bustle of guests at the Zoo. Koalas are known to need quieter environments to communicate properly and naturally with one another.
The noises at the Zoo such as an instrumental band, people talking, and construction tend to be omnipresent but enclosures are made to keep as much out as possible. Signs may say things such as “Shhh” to give a notice that these animals need a quiet environment. Some enclosures will also have sound walls like in a movie theatre to keep out the louder noises that sometimes cannot be prevented. Additionally, enclosures also tend to have trees or decorations not just for aesthetics, but also, to act as a noise barrier. Noise disturbances can cause koalas to change the natural pitch of their communication in order to compete with “artificial” noises.
After the interns had a chance to talk with Ms. Tobey, we were given the opportunity to meet with the Director of Behavioral Ecology, Matt Anderson. Dr. Anderson showed us the African elephant project. This project is focusing on the many different vocalizations elephants are capable of creating. Prior to the extensive research conducted at the Institute, it had been unknown that African elephants communicate at levels to low for people to hear. Highly adapted to hear even the slightest of sounds, African elephants have evolved to communicate on such low levels not only to evade predation, but also to communicate with elephants miles and miles away.
One way that elephant utilize this adaptation is when females rumble during pregnancy. They utilize this vocalization to notify the herd when a baby. Although, we cannot hear it, it is better suited for the elephants since a lower frequency sound will create long wavelengths that can travel far distances. In a way, it is like calling friends and family that may not be nearby to tell them to prepare for the new arrival. In order to hear these infrasonic vocalizations, researchers must capture the sound via a microphone. These vocalizations can then be sped up to make the noise in a range that humans can hear. The noise is somewhat distorted, but it gives a general idea of how the African elephants may be hearing it. Personally, hearing it for the first time gave me chills, and made me realize there is still so much that we don’t know.
Many of the noises we hear in everyday life are new to many animals, which can cause them stress. We should do our part by being respectful when we are in close proximity to their enclosures so as not to disturb their natural communication. By being quieter, we benefit both them and us by allowing ourselves to listen closely to sounds we may have missed before. A whole new world is shown when we use our sense of hearing to its full potential.
Aliciá, Real World Team
Week Three, Winter 2016
