Zoo soundscapes could be a new frontier in bioacoustics studies

A new study suggests that zoos are an untapped resource for scientists working in the field of sound, but certain species and zones in zoos are often overlooked in bioacoustics research. The authors are calling for closer collaboration between scientists and the zoo community to benefit animals and deepen our understanding of the natural world.

• Image 1 Rebecca Lewis securing audio recording equipment to a tree in an animal habitat
• Image 2 A java sparrow, an endangered bird, perching on a branch
• Image 3 Zaza, a fossa - a Malagasy carnivore - lying on a branch in his habitat

Increased collaboration between zoos and sound researchers could open new frontiers in bioacoustics, according to a new paper.

“Hullabaloo at the zoo: aligning acoustic research with the goals of the conservation zoo”, was published in Bioacoustics, the International Journal of Animal Sound and its Recording, this month.

The article, written by Rebecca Lewis, Conservation Scientist: Population Biology, and Leah Williams, Lead Conservation Scientist: Population Biology at Chester Zoo, provides an overview of bioacoustics research carried out within zoos.

The study looks at more than 30 years of bioacoustics work covering aspects of biophony, geophony and anthrophony, and utilising multiple methodologies to evaluate zoo soundscapes.

Leah said: “When it comes to research into zoo environments, a lot of studies focus on the physical environment, in terms of both animals and visitors, perhaps because other dimensions of the environment are less visible and obvious.

“In this paper, we try to encourage both the zoo community and practitioners in bioacoustics research to consider more collaborative opportunities. In fact, collaboration could go further than bioacoustics- we would invite researchers in any acoustic discipline to consider zoos as an arena of study.

“Zoo soundscapes have real implications for visitor and animal welfare and on conservation practices, and they offer a rich and unique environment for inquiry.”

Key findings:

• Visitor noise is the most researched aspect of sounds in zoos
• Zoo bioacoustics impact studies most often focus on non-human primates, with relatively few visitor sound studies focusing on birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish
• Consistent noise, of the kind generator noise, HVAC systems and aquarium filtration systems, is less studied than acute noise, like the sound generated by after-hours events or short-term construction projects
• More research is needed into how environmental noise affects the way animals communicate and behave

Rebecca Lewis said: “What we want to encourage is collaboration with bioacousticians, to facilitate work that’s of scientific interest to the bioacoustics community and has conservation value and is helpful to the zoo community. There’s a lot of work out there on wild sound, as well as bioacoustics studies that focus on domesticated animals and carried out in lab settings. Zoos offer another avenue for impactful research.”

Chester Zoo itself has hosted studies focusing on multiple bird species, giraffes and various zoo environments.

Leah added: “The issue many zoos face is that they don’t have the capacity to carry out their own bioacoustics surveys. It’s a complex field and requires technical expertise and access to specialised equipment. We’re lucky at Chester Zoo to have team members who have that expertise, but other organisations don’t have that capacity. We want to encourage zoos to reach out to researchers and researchers to reach out to zoos.

“These studies have the potential to shape zoo habitat design, influence conservation practice or unearth other data with practical applications.”

Chester Zoo is the site of a growing number of bioacoustics studies, including “Evaluating the influencers of acoustic indices in a zoo soundscape”, which came out in Bioacoustics in June, and several articles pending publication, including one on an infrasonic cassowary call.

Bali myna, fossa, Java sparrows and golden mantella frogs have all been the focus of previous bioacoustics studies.

Rebecca said: “We’re really interested in zoo bioacoustics as an institution. It’s one of our core research areas, and I think Chester Zoo is increasingly recognised as a front runner in the field.”

To find out more about research at Chester Zoo, visit www.chesterzoo.org/conservation-science-education

International Centre for Zoo Science, Chester Zoo (a UK nonprofit)

Cover image: Leah Williams and Zoe Sweetman audio recording a cassowary

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