Why babies cry so loud, as the noise can potentially attract predators in the wild?
In: Biology
Plenty of baby animals instinctually stay silent and hidden when they’re away from their mothers, like deer. Human babies, evidently, have different priorities.
I’d imagine that deer normally forage away from each other and, well, stand/walk on their own, so it’s pretty normal for a baby to be temporarily separated. Human babies, though, are utterly helpless alone, and ideally never, ever leave their mothers’ sight. For a human baby, if they’re alone, the top priority is getting back into mother’s arms ASAP.
It’s to alert the caregivers of the baby.
When a mother gives birth she is naturally compelled to protect the baby through *any* means possible. This means, although it may alert predators in the wild, the mother will usually arrive first.
Furthermore, humans are pack animals by nature, so when I say “mother” I likely mean the whole tribe.
And trust me, a tribe of humans is a real force to be reckoned with.
It can also attract help from a parent if they need food or something. The pros outweigh the cons. Hopefully the parent can protect the baby from predators.
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