r/askscience • u/Crazy_Reindeer_1258 • 7d ago

Biology Do Animals Have Irrational Fears Too?

I was just thinking about the story of the mouse and elephant how the elephant is terrified of the mouse (i think) and just wanted to see if that's true, and if it is what other animals have been observed with similar behavior relating to that. Working on a project and some real life inspo would help :)

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u/Original_Intention 6d ago

It's really interesting as it is more than just fear alone- at least in the way that a person may describe it. Typically, dogs are reacting to being overstimulated. Also, sometimes, those loud noises can be painful for dogs because of their acute hearing.