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Ecological Exposure History Shapes Giraffe Vigilance Responses to Anthropogenic Noise: A Multisite Playback Experiment

Publication record · Ecology and Evolution, 2025

DOI: 10.1002/ece3.72763Read our scientific commentary

Research by

Kaitlyn Taylor, Sean van der Merwe, Francois Deacon, Andri Grobbelaar, Anton Baotic

Provides multisite sound-playback data and within-individual matched comparisons distinguishing supported mechanical-noise responses from uncertain responses to other sounds and exposure contexts.

Publication details

Study facts

Method
Field acoustic playbacks; video-derived reaction scores, Bayesian modeling and matched within-individual control comparisons.
Location
Three predator-free reserves in Free State Province, South Africa, with low, moderate and high human exposure.
Species
Southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa), using the authors’ taxonomy.
Sample
33 giraffes in the final analysis: 19, 10 and 4 across the three reserves; repeated observations.
Period
July 2023–June 2024.

Full citation

Kaitlyn Taylor, Sean van der Merwe, Francois Deacon, Andri Grobbelaar, Anton Baotic (2025). Ecological Exposure History Shapes Giraffe Vigilance Responses to Anthropogenic Noise: A Multisite Playback Experiment. Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72763

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