Goats can tell if humans are happy or angry based on their tone of voice.
Goats know how humans feel based on tone of voice
A new study suggests that the animals have developed a sensitivity to vocals as a result of their long association with people that dates back 10,000 years.
Goats are also capable of understanding physical gestures and can tell the difference between a smile and a scowl - suggesting that the creatures are smarter than they are given credit for.
Professor Alan McElligott, leader of the study at City University of Hong Kong, said: "This study offers the first evidence that goats can discriminate between cues expressed in the human voice, namely, emotional valence.
"These findings contribute to the limited literature available indicating livestock, like companion animals, are sensitive to human emotional cues."