Big cats can tell apart known and unknown human voices, study finds

Non-domesticated cats ‘may not be as aloof and indifferent as they sometimes have the reputation for’, the study found. Photograph: Naples zoo/AFP/Getty Images

From tigers to cheetahs, big cats may seem majestically aloof but researchers have found they can tell apart familiar and unfamiliar human voices, suggesting that even animals that shun group living are far from socially inept.

While cats are often portrayed as somewhat standoffish, researchers have previously found that domesticated felines can tell apart the voice of their owner from that of other humans.