591
better than half our interns (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
136 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 
Twitter post from Moonlit Sentences Arizona DOT installed a wildlife camera at Route 87's pedestrian crossing outside Payson last September. Standard deer migration count. After six months, they had footage of zero deer and 147 clips of the same coyote pressing the crosswalk button with its paw at sunrise. The animal waits for the walk signal. Steps into the road. Crosses at a trot. Every single time. Biologists believe it learned by watching hikers at the adjacent trailhead. "It's not random," said the lead researcher. "That coyote understands cause and effect better than half our interns." DOT voted unanimously to keep the camera running. The coyote hasn't jaywalked once.
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 4 points 3 months ago

I've seen foxes use the crosswalk, but never push the button. If the story stayed at "This animal is smart enough to know that it won't get hit if it stays in the little white lines" then I probably wouldn't have clocked it. Still, what a horrible, dishonest thing to do.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent