Researchers say having a smile on your face is the best way to make a new goat friend.
A new study (Yes, there actually was a study) shows that goats interact more with a smiling person than a frowning person. The study took photograph pairs of the same people, one smiling and one frowning and placed them side by side. According to the results the goats tended to gravitate toward the smiling photo.
See for yourself in the video below.
Okay, so that doesn't necessarily prove much and the study also reveled that the goats only went toward the smiling face when the photo was on the right-hand side. When the smiling photo was on the left, the goats showed no preference.
Still Dr McElligott, of University of Roehampton, said about the study:
The study has important implications for how we interact with livestock and other species, because the abilities of animals to perceive human emotions might be widespread and not just limited to pets.
Either way, goats are awesome. Why not smile when you are around them?
Unless of course you are this kid. Then you get a pass from smiling around goats.
Next time you're passing a goat - remember to smile! 😊 https://t.co/xzFEe5UPdB— BBC World Service (@BBC World Service) 1535571877.0
Science says goats like people who smile at them. You want goats to like you, don't you? https://t.co/11oWPMpMqa https://t.co/eDPRTsFYiG— Veronica Belmont (@Veronica Belmont) 1535645976.0
See, it's working.
@Veronica @AdobeSpark I WILL SMILE AT ALL THE GOATS.— Jesse von Doom (@Jesse von Doom) 1535646082.0
@Veronica @MaryRobinette @AdobeSpark I’ve never wanted to have a goat more than right now.— RockPaperSeizures (@RockPaperSeizures) 1535646377.0
Good news! https://t.co/ceob4VXY9X— VICE (@VICE) 1535594410.0
But then things took a turn toward the dark side.
@VICE This bowl of Birria is smiling right back at me. @Birria_Ocotlan #Birria #BirrieriaOcotlan #goat https://t.co/zJGpZkUuxz— Sir Andrew King (@Sir Andrew King) 1535594639.0
@VICE And who doesn’t smile when your severing Jamaican goat stew #parodycabinent https://t.co/NHi58yfLOX— The Queen (@The Queen) 1535595578.0
We just want to go back to our happy place with the happy goats.
H/T: BBC, Mashable, Science Alert