Mama Goats Remember Babies' Cries Even After Separation
New research shows that mama goats don't forget their kid's voices even after a year of separation. Who knew that goats had such a finely tuned sense of who's who in the herd? Then again, if a human mother forgot what her own kid sounded like we'd probably be appalled. Live Science has the story:
Goats are social creatures, Briefer told LiveScience. In the wild, they live in groups, segregating by sex in the day and coming together as a whole herd at night. Female goats probably stick close by moms their whole lives in the wild, so recognizing each other's voices is likely important, Briefer said. Knowing her son's call may also help prevent a mother goat from accidentally mating with him, she said.
Alternatively, the long-term recognition may just be a side effect of the strong mother-kid bond in the first days of nursing. It could be that these early memories are so strong that they just don't fade, Briefer said.
