A recent study undertaken by Western University biology professor Liana Zanette, in conjunction with Calum Cunningham and Chris Johnson from the University of Tasmania, shows that kangaroos, wallabies, and other Australian marsupials fear humans more than any other predator. The study’s findings were published on May 21 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Because Australia lacks large carnivores such as lions and wolves, it is assumed that marsupials such as kangaroos and wallabies are fearless of predators. However, a new study undertaken by Western University biology professor Liana Zanette and collaborators from the University of Tasmania found that Australian marsupials fear humans more than any other predator. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, discovered that kangaroos, wallabies, and other marsupials were 2.4 times more likely to escape in reaction to human voices than other predators like dogs, Tasmanian devils, or wolves.
These findings significantly support findings from comparable research by Zanette and her collaborators, as well as others, conducted in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, which reveal that wildlife worldwide dread humans far more than lions, leopards, cougars, bears, wolves, or dogs.
To carry out their experiment, the team used hidden automated camera-speaker systems that, when triggered by an animal passing within a short distance (approximately 10 meters or 30 feet), recorded the response to humans speaking calmly, dogs barking, Tasmanian devils snarling, wolves howling, or non-threatening controls such as sheep bleating.