4 Animals That Are Afraid of Unexpected Things

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00:00Lions, elephants, and bears. Oh my!

00:03Three of the most beautiful yet intimidating members of the animal kingdom.

00:07But what intimidates these creatures, if anything?

00:11You might be surprised. Let's take a look.

00:14How about we start with the universally recognized king of the jungle, the lion.

00:19We'll get to the elephants in a moment, but there's actually one in the room.

00:23You know, the one that claims that a certain jungle cat is afraid of the most vital substance known to man?

00:29A small hint, it covers 70% of Earth's surface.

00:34So, is it true? Is the ferocious lion afraid of water?

00:38It's actually a myth. Lions enjoy taking a dip in the water because it allows them to cool off.

00:45This makes sense if you think about the climates the creatures have to face.

00:49Temperatures in a savanna climate range from 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:55You know all of us humans hit the beach whenever the weather is like that.

00:59So, why should we expect anything different from the lion?

01:02Especially given that the creatures typically carry around between 280 and 420 pounds of weight, as well as a thick coat of fur.

01:11The ironic thing about this whole lions are afraid of water move is that they're actually fantastic swimmers.

01:18The same goes for all of your other favorite large cats from these warm weather climates, such as tigers, leopards, jaguars, and ocelots.

01:26It's actually large cats from cold climates that do their best to avoid water.

01:31This applies to such felines as bobcats, lynxes, and snow leopards.

01:36The latter lives in places like the cold alpine tundra biome.

01:40That's a rocky mountainous area.

01:42Temperatures there, on average, get as low as 33 degrees Fahrenheit.

01:47Again, it makes perfect sense that these big cold weather cats despise water.

01:53Getting their fur coats wet would dampen their chances of staying warm.

01:57Pun intended.

01:58I don't think you have to look too far to piece together where this

02:02Lions are afraid of water move comes from.

02:05In fact, there's a good chance for some of you watching this video that the reason is near your computer screen right now.

02:12Jumping around and causing mischief.

02:15That's right, we may have jumped ourselves to a conclusion that certain behavioral aspects of our own pet cats would match that of a lion.

02:24House cats, though related to all the previously mentioned big cats, are not actually directly descended from them.

02:31They instead have developed over millions of years from a single wild ancestor that still exists in the wild today.

02:38The Near Eastern Wildcat.

02:40As water is not plentiful in the Middle East, these cats were not exposed to it to any great degree.

02:46Like their descendants, they only appreciate it as a food source.

02:50As you likely see with your pet, they hardly bathe, swim, or interact with water in general.

02:57Lucky for them, they don't even need to.

02:59These domestic felines use their tongues to clean themselves.

03:03They can do this because their tongues have tiny hook-shaped papillae.

03:07They assist cats in grooming out knots and keeping the coat clean, sweet-smelling, and in overall immaculate shape.

03:15Cats, in general, are individualistic creatures.

03:19And you may be screaming at your screen right now proclaiming that your cat, in fact, loves water.

03:25And this is definitely possible.

03:27Some cats even like to play with water.

03:29For example, drips from the tap or bubbles in the bath.

03:33There are specific breeds of house cats that are known to enjoy the aqua life more than others.

03:39The Turkish Van, for example, which is also appropriately known as the swimming cat.

03:45It's believed that the breed developed an affinity for water by swimming in Lake Van to cool down.

03:51This lake is in the area the animals evolved from.

03:55Moving on to a problem a cat definitely doesn't have to deal with.

03:59Have you ever heard of musophobia, also known as suriphobia?

04:05Both words are valid names for a fear of mice and rats.

04:09There is a common belief that one particular animal that has this fear is the beautiful elephant.

04:15That's right, the same animal that, depending on the species, stands at the height of roughly 10 feet and weighs about 9,000 pounds.

04:23It's supposedly afraid of a creature that is a mere 4 inches in length and weighs less than 1 pound.

04:31But why did this belief appear?

04:33Well, the reasoning for this rumor is based on the possibility that elephants are paranoid about mice climbing inside their trunks.

04:41If a mouse succeeded in doing this, there would be a potential that it could cause irritation and blockage within the trunk.

04:49Now, I'm not trying to be the guy who spoils parties, but it looks like this belief is also a myth.

04:55Researchers claim that there's no concrete evidence that suggests elephants are afraid of mice.

05:01The most they'll conceive is that the giant animal may sometimes take fright by the sudden appearance of the tiny rodent,

05:08which is the exact same for ourselves.

05:10Experts also claim that even if a mouse did get inside an elephant's trunk,

05:15the latter could effortlessly blow it back out with a puff of air.

05:19There's also some evidence that, in most cases, the animal remains unbothered by rodents,

05:24and even allows mice to climb on their heads and trunks.

05:28Researchers are sure that as long as an elephant is healthy,

05:31there's no other animal that it fears simply because of its size.

05:35So, lions aren't afraid of water, elephants don't seem to be afraid of mice,

05:41then are any of these animal fear rumors real?

05:44Hmm, we're probably going to be left just as disappointed by asking if a bear has any legit fear, right?

05:51Well, ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause for none other than people's best friend.

05:57That's right, bears do feel quite uncomfortable whenever they are around dogs,

06:03and all this despite a very distant genetic link to them.

06:07When the two creatures encounter each other,

06:09the dog has the ability to chase, intimidate, corner, or antagonize the bear.

06:15As for the powerful animal, it will instead try to avoid any run-ins with the dog.

06:20There's even a type of Finnish dog breed known as the Corellian Bear Dog.

06:25This dog species is specifically used for standing up to large animals, such as bears.

06:31This dog has a great sense of direction, body flexibility, and control,

06:36courage, sense of smell, and persistence.

06:39So, does this mean you can walk with your dog through an area known to have bears

06:44and feel absolutely calm and confident because of the presence of your loyal companion?

06:49Not really.

06:50Despite the fact that bears may be nervous around dogs,

06:53we can't forget their size and power.

06:56The American black bear can reach a height of nearly 7 feet and weigh up to 660 pounds.

07:02If a mother bear has nowhere to run or feels that her cubs might be in danger,

07:07it's extremely possible that she will lash out,

07:10which can only mean big trouble for you or your dog.

07:13So, nobody should ever test this theory.

07:17Instead, if you're ever planning to visit an unknown area with your dog,

07:21you should first plan ahead and familiarize yourself with the wildlife you may encounter there.

07:26Because you never know what a bear will do when it notices you and your pooch,

07:31especially given their mild case of cynophobia,

07:34which is the name given to a fear of dogs.

07:37At least we were able to find one genuine fear of another animal out of these three tough members of the animal kingdom.

07:44Weird that a dog, something that gives so many of us such joy and comfort in our own homes,

07:50is still the creature that's brave enough to take on a bear if need be.

07:54Well, not all heroes wear capes. Some just wear fur and a dog collar.

08:00Why don't we take a look at what frightens these great companions of ours?

08:04Ever wondered why your own dog becomes uncomfortable when it hears loud noises?

08:09The degree of fear differs in each dog,

08:11but it's the simple unpredictability of thunder and flashing lightning,

08:15or loud bangs that accompany firework displays, that causes your dog uneasiness.

08:21The inability to understand what's causing this deafening noise may cause your dog to tremble,

08:27tuck its tail between its legs, or even run away from home.

08:31Another thing that can really frighten our loyal pets is when we leave them all alone by themselves.

08:37This can, unfortunately, lead to being a nightmare for your next-door neighbors,

08:42because a common symptom of this fear is excessive barking.

08:46This fear may also cause problems closer to home.

08:49Ever asked yourself why your dog chewed up your sofa?

08:53Housebreaking accidents are typical when a dog has separation anxiety.

08:58You can't stay mad at your dog for long, though, right?

09:01Your pooch will make it up to you when you guys run into a bear.

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