The
researchers now plan to develop a 'panda translator' using voice recognition
technology
Scientists
in China say they have deciphered the meaning of 13 different giant panda
vocalisations.
During
a five-year study of panda "language" at a conservation centre in the
southwestern Sichuan province scientists found giant pandas communicate using
specific sounds to indicate when they are hungry or unhappy, according
to the state Xinhua news agency.
Researchers
found that when attracting a mate, males "baa" like sheep and females
respond with chirping sound if they are interested.
They
also make a "wow-wow" sound when they are unhappy and baby pandas say
"gee-gee" to tell their mothers they are hungry.
Zhang
Hemin, head of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda,
which ran the study, said: "Trust me - our researchers were so
confused when we began the project, they wondered if they were studying a
panda, a bird, a dog, or a sheep."
He
said they recorded the animals when they were eating, fighting and nursing
young to study how they communicated.
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