For the first time ever, scientists have observed a mouse performing what appears to be first aid on an unconscious fellow mouse.
The groundbreaking study, conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California, offers a rare glimpse into life-saving behavior in animals.
Researchers placed mice in a controlled laboratory setting to observe how they reacted to unconscious members of their species. At first, the mice sniffed and nudged their immobile counterparts.
But what happened next was truly astonishing.
One mouse began biting the unconscious mouse’s mouth and tongue, seemingly in an attempt to revive it. It even tried to pull its tongue out, a move that resembles human resuscitation efforts to clear airways.
Once the unconscious mouse regained movement, the helper stopped its efforts—a clear sign that the behavior was intentional rather than random.
Could This Be Innate First Aid?
The study, published in the journal Science, suggests that this may be an innate survival behavior rather than learned action.
To confirm this, researchers examined the brains of the helper mice and found distinct neural activity when they were near unconscious versus awake mice.
This indicates that the animals could differentiate between the states of their peers and adjust their behavior accordingly.
What This Means for Animal Intelligence
This discovery adds to a growing body of evidence that animals exhibit empathy and caregiving behaviors.
Previously, scientists found that ants perform amputations on injured colony members to save their lives.
Now, it seems that mice may have their own version of life-saving instincts.
While more research is needed, this study challenges our understanding of animal intelligence and social behavior, suggesting that the ability to assist distressed peers may be more widespread in the animal kingdom than previously thought.
Watch the video of the mouse’s ‘first aid’ response here.
