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Ask the Experts: Do target animals habituate to the TAST signal?

Question:

Do target animals habituate to the TAST signal?

Answer:

The award-winning Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology (TAST), originally developed at the University of St. Andrews, effectively mitigates interactions between wildlife and human activities. Key features of TAST include taxon-specific targeting (minimising impact on non-target species), consistent effectiveness over time (no habituation), and significantly decreased noise doses compared to traditional acoustic deterrents (reduced noise pollution).

TAST works by utilising brief acoustic signals to trigger a harmless startle reflex in specific taxon. This ancestral reflex is mediated by just a few neurons in the brainstem and is not under conscious control. However, it is also connected to areas in the brain involved with emotional processing (the amygdala), resulting in flight and avoidance responses after a few exposures. Therefore, this method effectively keeps target animals away from areas of conflict or harm (Götz & Janik, 2015; 2016). The technology has been tested over long periods of time and multiple seasons with no evidence of habituation in animals that exhibit an initial startle response.

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