You Hear a Baby Crying, a Crocodile May Be Hearing Lunch
The semiaquatic reptiles were roused to action by recordings of crying human and ape infants.
Some things don't need to be translated. You can recognize someone who is yelling in anger or cheering for victory, no matter what language they speak. Even if the animal in distress is of a different species, such as a baby human, a crocodile may be able to recognize its sound. This sound indicates that you are about to be eaten.
Researchers published a study in Proceedings of the Royal Society A on Wednesday. They placed speakers near crocodiles, and played recordings of infants from humans, bonobos and chimpanzees. Crocodiles were drawn to the sounds of shrieks, particularly those that sounded distressed.
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