Read the text below.
A study has found that several mammals are shifting toward being nocturnal, or more active at night, in order to avoid humans.
Researchers discovered that in places with humans, many diurnal mammals that are normally active during daytime have increased their nighttime activity by 68%. The researchers observed this across several species in different continents.
Moreover, they found that different human activities similarly affect how animals behave, regardless if these activities directly threatened the animals’ lives or not. For instance, it was observed that building roads near animal habitats had the same effect on animal behavior as hunting.
While the researchers cannot yet ascertain the consequences of this behavioral change, they have several assumptions about its implications. The researchers think that most mammals can thrive even with changes in their activity patterns. They added that these changes may be beneficial since animals will become less likely to encounter humans.
However, researchers also fear that some diurnal mammals may not be as adept at finding food, avoiding predators, and communicating in the dark. These difficulties can reduce the animals’ survival and reproduction rates. Some species may also be unable to adapt and become vulnerable to their surroundings, according to the researchers.
This is not the first study to observe changes in animal behavior due to human activity. In 2016, researchers found that some storks reconfigured their migration patterns so that they can eat discarded food from landfills. Similarly, researchers from the University of Melbourne discovered that being exposed to artificial light in cities have altered the life cycle of black field crickets and led to the insects’ lower birth rates.