Are Elephants Afraid of Mice? -Learning Drives .Are you afraid of mice? Many people have a fear of mice. This fear of mice can be described as a type ‘phobia’, also known as suriphobia, musophobia or murophobia
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You might have seen old cartoons and noticed that people tend to sit on chairs when the mouse appears. Maybe they thought that the mouse was going to bite their legs! Fear of mice is not limited to television screens. An old belief holds that even elephants fear mice. The huge creatures that can crush small mice with one step are said to fear them. Is this true?
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Are Elephants Afraid Of Mice?
Yes, elephants fear mice.
Why do elephants fear mice?
An elephant can courageously face off against a mouse! It is difficult to trace the origin of the tale of an elephant afraid of mice. According to different sources, the ancient Greeks started it. They used to tell stories about mice climbing inside the trunks of elephants, which drove them insane. Others speculate that elephants fear mice because they fear they will get into their trunks and stop them breathing.
These beliefs and stories have been passed down through generations. These stories were popularized by cartoons, movies, books, and other media like books, movies, or TV. Now comes the important question: are they true?
Many people will say yes, but don’t know how to prove it. If you’re reading this blog, we assume you’re looking for the best and most practical solution. We will meet all your expectations, so don’t be alarmed.
Let’s find out the truth about elephants fearing mice from both science and practicality.
MythBusters Unveil the Mystery Behind Elephants Fearing Mice
MythBusters is a popular Discovery Channel show. Jayme Hyneman hosts the show, as well as Adam Savage. One episode featured an experiment in which they have hidden a mouse with white hair under a pile of dung.
They waited for elephants to approach the pile. They pulled out a wire to release the mouse when they saw them approaching. They waited to see if the elephants would move. What were they going to do?
What do you think would happen?
The mouse was noticed by the elephants, who then took a step back from it. It was a shock to the hosts to see such behavior from the elephants. Let’s not draw any conclusions based only on one experiment. Here’s another experiment that was performed on 20/20, another popular TV show.
The Elephants Are Not Afraid Of Mice
Similar to MythBusters’ experiment, 20/20 also conducted their own experiment to find out if elephants fear mice. Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus were invited to 20/20. Here’s how it ended:
Troy Metzler, a trailer for the elephants, asked the host to take a white house into his hands. The host then walked up to an elephant, showing the mouse. The host took the mouse and showed it to the other elephants.
What were the results? It will shock you to learn the results. After seeing the mouse, the elephants didn’t seem at all bothered. They behaved normally, not anxious or surprised. Is this a sign that the elephants don’t fear mice? Why didn’t the MythBusters show make any nervous moves similar to the ones the elephants did?
Are Elephants Really afraid of Mice?
One thing you should know is that both of these experiments can’t be considered research. Both cases had different conditions. MythBusters found that the elephants weren’t familiar with mice
in their experiment. They also used white mice, which is uncommon in the elephant habitat.
However, the 20/20’s experiment showed that all elephants were comfortable with mice. The mice were not scurrying about the ground but were kept in the hands of the host, and then the mouse was shown to them.
These experiments are not reliable and will not lead to the right conclusions. Let’s hear what Josh Plotnik (an elephant researcher) has to say about elephant fear.
Information by an Elephant Researcher: What Elephants Really Fear in the Wild –
Josh Plotnik, an elephant researcher, said that anything that suddenly runs or slithers by elephants in the wild could be frightening.
Josh claims that it is not that elephants fear mice specifically but that any creature or animal that causes them to scream is what terrifies them. People don’t realize that elephants are very sensitive to smell, but their eyesight is not good.
We can therefore say that elephants are programmed to be startled by fast-moving creatures. Elephants feel scared when they sense that the animal is threatening their safety.
What’s the conclusion? What do you think?
The Final Verdict
The conclusion is yes and no.
Yes, elephants fear mice. It’s not always that they fear them. Josh Plotnik’s statement can be interpreted as a verdict that elephants don’t fear mice specifically. There is still much to be done in order to find the best conclusion.
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