Study Finds Humans Can Echolocation Just Like Bats [News Blog]

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Elizabeth — No Comments ↓

Study Finds That Humans Can Use Echolocation Just Like Bats

One of the more interesting Marvel superheroes is Daredevil, a character who is blinded as a child, but who is able to sense the world around him because his other senses – most notably his hearing – improve to compensate for his disability.

As it turns out, this super power is more real than you might think. According to a new study from Durham University, there are humans who really can use echolocation, just like a bat, in order to see objects in their path based on sound waves that bounce off them.

While this is a power that, theoretically, many people can develop, at present, most of us don’t really have a reason to try. After all, those of us who can see will naturally rely on our eyes rather than attempting to learn echolocation. For some blind people, though, this skill is a fabulous help in everyday life, and it now has some scientific backing which suggests it works.

Participants of the study were self-professed echolocation masters; people who claim to have the ability to see by clicking and instinctively listening to the way sounds bounce around. To test that, these participants were placed within a sound-proof testing environment, with a 7 inch (17.5 centimeter) disc placed somewhere in the room. The participants were then asked to locate the disc using only their “super powers”.

Surprisingly this worked, albeit it depended on where the disc was placed within the room. It turns out that human echolocation is designed specifically for picking objects that are in a person’s way; when the disc was placed immediately in front of the participants, they were able to immediately locate it 100% of the time. This percentage dropped to 80% of the time if the object was slightly behind them, and 50% if it was directly behind their backs.

While this laboratory setting is very different to the outside world, it’s clear that something unusual is going on – just as bats bounce audio waves off their surroundings in order to scan around themselves, humans can produce clicks to orient themselves and spot potential hazards. Unlike bats, we’re not able to spin our ears around to take in a wide angle of sounds, and our hearing is nowhere near as that of other animals, but we can genuinely learn this skill.

Their research adds credibility to a claim often made by Daniel Kish, who presented a TED talk in 2015 where he discussed how he uses echolocation to navigate the world. Kish lost his sight at a young age, and in relearning to navigate the world, he instinctively began clicking as a way of helping himself get a sense of his surrounding area.

Kish is now so good at this technique that he can perform extraordinary feats, such as riding a bike, solely by relying on his echolocation.

It seems that for those who truly need it, this super power is real. Which is good to know, not least because this information may help to change people’s perceptions of the disabled. Kish is an advocate of finding ways to help blind people become more involved in society so that they’re seen not as needy recipients of charity, but equal contributors who are capable of helping just as much as they receive help.

With any luck, this new paper will help to champion that cause.

WORRIED ABOUT BATS? Call 1-866-263 WILD!

Need a bat trapping in Lakewood Ranch, FL or elsewhere in Manatee/Sarasota County?

Bats can gain entry to homes and businesses by squeezing through hard to detect gaps and holes in rooflines, HVAC systems and foundations. Bats, mice and squirrels breed and contaminate food and building surfaces quickly.

Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc. is fully licensed and insured. We are a locally and family-owned business that has been operating in Manatee and Sarasota county for 20 years. We are the REAL experts with the LONG-TERM experience that can save you from costly mistakes. Don’t trust your home or budget to a new guy on the block. Call today and speak with a trusted professional.

For more information or a FREE estimate

call 1-866-263-WILD! or 941-729-2103.

Or easily contact us by clicking here.

Check out our Animal FAQs from our customers!

Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc

1329 10th Street East Palmetto, Florida 34221

(941) 729-2103

Raccoon Cafes Are a Thing [News Blog]

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Elizabeth — No Comments ↓

Facebook/Gus Kentworthy

You’ve heard of cat cafes, but this is something completely new—and a bit bizarre.

When they weren’t winning medals and rescuing dogs from dog meat farms, a few U.S. Olympic athletes spent their time in South Korea doing something a little different. The city of Seoul is a cultural experience with a lot to offer, but the local raccoon cafe called Blind Alley is a particular oddity.

The fact that it’s unexpected is what attracts Korean locals and tourists alike.

Dog and cat cafes and coffee shops are a common sight in the U.S., but South Korea has taken this concept to another level. The raccoon cafe is a place in the city where people go to hang out with these adorably masked creatures. The animals–including a few dogs and a capybara–are kept in a closed-off room complete with tables, chairs, and an indoor jungle gym. Visitors to the cafe can purchase food and drinks and then take off their shoes and venture into the raccoon room. The owner, Han Song Hee, rescued the raccoons from a fur importer.

Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy called his unique experience to the cafe the highlight of his trip to PyeongChang, South Korea. That’s right, the raccoons even beat out competing in the Winter Olympics. Kenworthy shared pictures of him and his boyfriend Matthew Wilkas on social media getting cuddly with the seemingly friendly forest animals.

While pictures are cute and the idea of spending time with cute raccoons sounds appealing, not everyone is on board with the concept of a raccoon cafe. Unlike cats and dogs, raccoons aren’t domesticated animals. They live in the wild and aren’t native to Asia. While some people see happy raccoons enjoying life and meeting new friends, others see a form of cruelty keeping the poor raccoons in an environment that doesn’t match their specific needs.

There are signs posted around the cafe with basic rules and warning visitors that raccoons can bite so they shouldn’t be fed outside food. They’re also encouraged to respect the animals’ personal space, but regulating that rule when people visit for the sole purpose of getting a selfie with a wild animal isn’t always possible.

There are health risks that you should be aware of after any wild animal has been taken from your home.

What Are the Health Risks of Raccoons in Lakewood Ranch FL?

The health risks of raccoons should never be underestimated. Raccoons create enormous damage and transmit infectious diseases to Parrish adults, children and pets. Contact a licensed and insured nuisance wildlife management company for expert raccoon removal, raccoon trapping and raccoon exclusion services.

The Health Risks of Raccoons

It’s important that you have that Parrish raccoon removed from your attic, crawl space, basement or other building location before things get out of hand. Raccoons contaminate building surfaces with urine and feces and chew up everything from electrical wires to support beams. If you hear noises in your attic, call a wildlife removal professional before a raccoon or some other wild animal causes significant damage or even a catastrophic fire.Wild animal droppings harbor dangerous parasites and foster the growth of mold and microbes. Raccoons are known carriers of infectious diseases that can be contracted by humans and pets.

• Raccoon Roundworm, or Baylisascaris, is a dangerous species of roundworm carried by raccoons. Millions of roundworm eggs are deposited into the environment through raccoon feces. Children and pets can easily ingest fertile eggs by coming into contact with infected soil, tree stumps and other seemingly safe locations. Once inside the body of an animal or human, the larvae migrate throughout the body and infect the brain, eyes, spinal cord and other organs.

• Rabies is a health risk commonly associated with wild animals. Rabies, which attacks the central nervous system, can be fatal if left untreated.

• Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection spread to humans through raccoon feces and urine. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe headaches, high fever, anemia, meningitis and organ failure.

• Salmonella is also spread through raccoon feces. Humans and pets can ingest the bacteria through incidental contact with infected areas. The symptoms of Salmonella poisoning include high fever, severe diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Raccoon Trapping and Exclusion

A wildlife management expert can humanely remove and relocate raccoons and other nuisance wild animals. Professionally trained wildlife removal specialists can also decontaminate building materials, repair all damage and permanently seal your home or business to ensure that the problem doesn’t reoccur. Local wildlife management companies provide expert raccoon trapping, raccoon removal and raccoon exclusion services in the greater Parrish area.

WORRIED ABOUT RACCONS? Call 1-866-263 WILD!

Need a raccoon trapper in Lakewood Ranch, FL or elsewhere in Manatee/Sarasota County?

Raccoons can gain entry to homes and businesses by squeezing through hard to detect gaps and holes in rooflines, HVAC systems and foundations. Rats, mice and squirrels breed and contaminate food and building surfaces quickly.