At the Branféré zoo, animals are now listening to music as part of a behavioral study.
The idea comes from FeathersFrench singer followed on Instagram, who noticed that the cows of his grandmother seemed to appease when he sang. “They seemed more relaxed, almost joyful,” he says.
Intrigued, Alexandre Petry, director of the Branféré zoo near Nantes, decided to launch the experience. “We want to see if music promotes social ties and if it reduces aggression” he explains.
For the moment, animals listen to seven minutes by session.
At 430 kilometers further north, in Villers-sur-Autthie, in the Somme, a Wagyu ox farmer is also convinced that classical music plays a role in the well-being of his animals, with a direct impact, according to him, on the taste quality of meat.
A coincidence? Maybe. But several studies and observations in the field suggest that certain animal species react more positively to music than others.
Dogs, cats, cows, birds (especially parrots and canaries), elephants, dolphins, whales and even some fish seem to be particularly receptive.
