Domestic goats can follow the direction of human voices to solve a hidden-object task

Abstract An underexplored dimension of vocal referentiality is the ability to process the direction in which a vocalization is emitted as a cue towards its referent. Here, we investigated whether domestic goats (Capra hircus, n = 29) can use human voices as a directional cue in a hidden-object task. In each of three conditions, subjects were individually presented with a human experimenter obscured by a barrier, and two identical containers, one of which was baited with food. In the ‘reward-directed speech’ condition, the experimenter vocalized excitedly towards the baited container while sitting closer to the unbaited container, and then the goat was able to select which container to explore. Subjects chose the baited container at above chance level. Two control conditions were identical to the reward-directed speech condition, except that the experimenter was either silent (‘no speech condition’) or directed their voice away from both containers (‘non-reward-directed speech condition’). Subjects did not choose the baited container at above chance level in either control condition. We conclude that goats are capable of attending to the directional cues provided by human voices and discuss the possible roles of domestication and experience with humans in the emergence of this ability.