Researchers in the UK have looked into how humans can decipher goat feelings. Creatures from Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats were recruited for the study, which was led by Dr. Alan McElligott of Queen Mary University of London.
Researchers in the UK have looked into how humans can decipher goat feelings. Creatures from Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats were recruited for the study, which was led by Dr. Alan McElligott of Queen Mary University of London.
When a goat is depressed or anxious, there are indicators that make it relatively easy to recognize an issue is present. The goal of the research was to see how goats express happiness, an emotion that is significantly more difficult to detect.
By studying the behaviors of goats, McElligott and his team were able to conclude that when the animals are truly content, they position their tails up and direct their ears forward.
They also produce steady calls that don’t range much in frequency.
Dr. Elodie Briefer who co-authored the study explained “Such indicators are important for the welfare of the animals, because they tell us when the animals are experiencing a negative versus a positive emotion, and we can thus adapt the environment...”
