NATURE . WILDLIFE

Operation Dolittle

45' (GER), 52' (GER, FRE, ENG subs)

Whether it’s grunting, moo-ing, bellowing or “rumbling” – animals have an astonishing range of voices. Scientists around the world are conducting research into the sounds made by the various species. Are the noises made by animals not also a kind of “language”?

Will it ultimately be possible to enter into a dialogue with certain animals? Experiments with X-rays in Vienna or a wolf’s head in the anechoic chamber of Humboldt University in Berlin give an insight into the work of the modern day Dr. Dolittles and showcase the impressive - and in some cases fantastic - means they use to attempt to interpret the language of animals.

The US researcher Jack Kassewitz, for instance, believes that he has decoded the language of dolphins by means of a process which “translates" the sonar sounds they produce into pictures. In Africa the Viennese scientist Angela Stöger is hot on the trail of the secret language of elephants. She hopes to display their infrasound -which is outside the range of human hearing - using what is known as an acoustic camera. If she is successful, her research could help to save the lives of many elephants.

Fotos: ©WDR