The image of an elephant, a frightened mouse, is often used in animation. This fact is not questioned, although, if you think about it, it seems strange that a land giant would set its tail between its legs at the sight of a tiny rodent. Are elephants really afraid of mice?
Instructions
Step 1
Elephant fear myths
It is generally accepted that elephants are wary of ordinary mice, as they climb between their huge fingers and begin to gnaw them. This unflattering opinion about land giants is associated with an Indian folk tale, it is so ingrained in the heads of Europeans that it gave birth to new, even more ridiculous speculations. For example, that the fear of mice in elephants is at the genetic level, similar to the human aversion to cockroaches or rats. Therefore, poor animals even sleep while standing. Even more amusing is the assumption that the reason for the fear is that the mouse can climb into the elephant's trunk, which will cause a lot of inconvenience, including asphyxiation.
Step 2
Why mice are dangerous for elephants
In fact, a mouse is unlikely to pose a significant danger to an elephant. Firstly, the sizes of animals are incomparable, therefore, even the most desperate rodent is unlikely to risk attacking a huge animal. Secondly, elephants and mice are not competitors in the struggle for food, so the increase in the number of individuals of one species will not affect the other in any way. So it's not worth talking about genetic dislike either. As for the love of mice to gnaw elephant heels, this is quite possible, if we assume that rodents do not have intelligence at all. In any case, in a climate where both of them live at the same time, there are more affordable ways to get enough. Therefore, it is impossible to argue that mice can harm elephants.
Step 3
So are elephants afraid of mice?
Elephants are very wary animals and show anxiety when faced with something unknown. Therefore, the rustle of dry foliage, along which the mice move, may well cause alarm in large animals, but they certainly will not run in panic. In addition, the eyesight of elephants is not very good, so they may simply not notice the gray rodent. Zoologists and trainers carried out studies, during which they put mice even on the trunk of an adult, but they did not find signs of fright. Therefore, it cannot be argued that the widespread myth of the fear of elephants has any scientific evidence.
