[Animals] Why Animals Walk in Circles: The Controversial Mystery That Science Could Explain

[#Wittels-]

In recent days, videos have become po[CENSORED]r where different species of animals can be seen walking in circles, a behavior that has generated controversy among Internet users, who were quick to speak out and propose different hypotheses.

It is worth mentioning that the videos were recorded in different parts of the world and the species found in them are far (evolutionarily speaking) from each other. Among them we can find sheep, reindeer, ants and orcas.

Like thousands of Internet users, scientists have shared the possible reasons why animals have these strange behaviors, so despite how strange it may seem, there is a scientific explanation for such behavior.

Why are animals walking in circles without stopping?

One of the first experts to speak out to explain the possible reasons for such behavior was Matt Bell, a professor at the University of Hartpury in England, who commented that this can be attributed to a condition of stereotypy.

Stereotypy is a rhythmic and repetitive involuntary movement and according to the Zoo animal wellness education center, it can be divided into two:

Repetitive, invariable behaviors with no apparent immediate function.
Repetitive behaviors caused by repeated attempts to adapt to the environment or by central nervous system dysfunction.

 

Zoo Animal Wellness Education Center, shares that, in the case of mammals, other types of stereotypes have been described, for example "displacement, among which stands out the behavior known in English as "pacing" and that consists of the animal it moves always following the same route, which it repeats over and over again. Sometimes".

Another possible explanation is the one put forward by Molecare Farm Vets, where a group of veterinarians assure that this phenomenon is actually listeriosis.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes."

Listeriosis can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), miscarriages or blood poisoning, dejection, loss of appetite, fever, lack of coordination, salivation, facial paralysis, and circling, just as animals have been seen doing.

 

One of the animals in which this behavior of walking in circles has been seen, are ants. However, such behavior is not so rare among this group of insects, as the phenomenon is known as "the circle of death" and occurs when the ant that sets the pace becomes disoriented and begins to spin.One of the animals in which this behavior of walking in circles has been seen, are ants. However, such behavior is not so rare among this group of insects, as the phenomenon is known as "the circle of death" and occurs when the ant that sets the pace becomes disoriented and begins to spin.

 

In one of the videos that generated the most controversy, a group of orcas could be seen sailing in circles, however, a study published in the journal Science Direct mentions that circular behaviors in marine megafauna may have several similar purposes. across all taxa, including foraging, social interactions, and browsing.

 

Link: https://ensedeciencia.com/2023/04/19/por-que-los-animales-caminan-en-circulos-el-controversial-misterio-que-podria-explicar-la-ciencia/