On the Internet, it is widespread that otter use their cubs during the attack of predators, trying to pierce them. We decided to check if this is so.

The network is very popular Pictures With a cute otter, holding in the paws of his otter. Signature To them is often saysthat such a gesture of the animal causes compassion for the striker on him a predator. This statement can be found in all kinds of Collections interesting facts on entertainment sites, Information portals and even in some Encyclopedias. Talk about unusual behavior of otter and users of social networks ("VKontakte" Instagram*, Facebook*, Telegram, X) and the platform blog (Livejournal, "Zen").

There are 13 types in the world otter, predatory mammals from the Kunih family. 11 of them prefer fresh ponds, two - marine, and if river otter equips their den on land, using reservoirs mainly for hunting and movement, the sea live mainly in water. The distribution area of otter is wide - they live in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. These are one of the few animals that use improvised means as tools: They eat, including crabs and mussels, pre -breaking hard shells or shells with stones. On the otter hunt Larger predators, such as lynxes, alligators, coyots, etc. Sea tears threaten Also, sharks, killer whales and eagles, and the latter often hunt precisely for cubs.

Freshwater otter Give birth Usually from one to three cubs at a time, some varieties - up to five. The torn is born blind and toothless, they spend the first few weeks in the den, where they were born, eat mother’s milk and sleep. Their eyes open about a month, in two months they already leave the den and begin to swim, and by four months they can independently get their food. During the year, the cubs of freshwater otters usually remain next to the mother. Females of sea otter give birth in water, almost always in the litter the only cub. If there are several of them, a female often Throwing the rest, since only one can provide survival. After childbirth, the females almost constantly swim on their backs, holding the echo on the stomach so that he can feed at any moment. In four weeks, the cubs of sea otter are already starting to swim, but remain dependent on mothers for six months. Both freshwater and sea otter very aggressively protect their offspring.

Exist research, which testifythat animals (for example, rats, monkeys and elephants) can really experience sympathy and show empathy, although not at the same level as people. However, almost all scientific works were devoted to the study of animal emotions in relation to representatives of their own species (however, pets, such as dogs, can show sympathy for people). “Verified” failed to detect a single study that would confirm that the predator is able to imbue sympathy for the victim or her cub - especially at the time of hunting.

Rarely, but there are cases when predators adopt the cubs of their potential sacrifices. So, the media wrote that in one of the national parks Kenya lioness Sheltered a small antelope, in a zoo in Thailand tigress fed piglets, and in Ireland cat I began to take care of the ducklings. However, similar behavior Also not related to sympathy for the cubs in general. The fact is that animals do not know what their offspring looks like. This recognition occurs at the first time after childbirth due to the high level of the hormone oxytocin, which in females reaches its peak before the very birth and then gradually returns to normal for several hours or days. If in the period when the level of oxytocin is still high, a cub of another species will be in the field of view of the female, she can take him for her and in the future treat him in the same way as his relatives. However, if someone else's cub is thrown to the female whose hormonal background managed to normalize, at best, she simply rejects him. Most often, cases of adoption that are from time to time in the media from time to time occur in captivity when employees of zoos or nurseries put the cubs in the female of a different type. In the wild, such coincidences are also not excluded, but there they probably would still end with the death of the cub. For example, lionesses, like cats, transfer the cubs in their teeth, holding the withers. The lionesses for this are anatomically prepared, but the cubs of the antelope in this situation can seriously suffer.

The otters themselves are also not noticed in some particularly friendly attitude to the offspring of other animals in order to expect this in response. For example, males of California Kalan, who could not find females for mating, can Right -up The cubs of sea cats, which often leads to the death of the latter.

Even inside their type of otter, they do not belong to other people's cubs with great care. Sometimes the males actually take it hostage to take food from females. American researchers describe a similar happening: the female dived for food, leaving the cub on the surface of the water, at that time the male crept up to him and began to drown. This continued until the otter gave the attacker the resulting prey. Then he let go of the otter, and the mother and the cub flew up.

Among the Internet users, the Otdra has a reputation for cute fluffy animals, but in fact these are very ferocious Predators With sharp teeth and powerful jaws, not at all inclined to pass before dangers. Despite the fact that in size, otter is inferior to some of their potential pursuers, they, thanks to their dexterity, are quite capable of escaping or fighting off, for example, from Koyotov. The OTV group is able to defeat or drive off even such predators as jaguar And crocodile. There are also serious attacks On peopleif they find themselves in the immediate vicinity of the cubs.

Despite the fact that YouTube posted a huge number of videos and popular science programs about ejectors, “verified” could not find those where the otter would try to escape from the predator, showing him her cub. There are no data on such a strategy for survival at the otters and for any authoritative resources about animals.

In a large part of the posts dedicated to this interesting fact (and in Russian and English), the same photo of the otter that keeps in the paws of its cub was used. However, no danger in the photo in front of her is visible. "Verified" took advantage of the reverse search service in the image Tineye, and it turned out that the picture of otter with a cub first appeared on the Internet no later than 2008. Not all initial records are now available for viewing, but judging by the data that got into Tineye, they were initially not related to the assigned statement.

Thus, there is not a single authoritative evidence that the otter, being in danger, show the predators of their cubs, trying to pity the attacker and escape. In the face of the predator, the otter is either trying to repulse him (often quite successfully) or run away, and this is confirmed by numerous videos shot when observing these animals in the wild. Others extremely aggressively protect their offspring and can even attack people if they were near the cubs. Predators in general are not inclined to show any empathy for their victims and their offspring, and the otter themselves often act rather cruelly towards the cubs-both other people's species and their own. Therefore, it is not clear why they could count on any sympathy from other predators and choose such behavior as a survival strategy.

*Russian authorities They think Meta Platforms Inc., which owns social networks Facebook and Instagram, an extremist organization, its activities in Russia are prohibited.

Photo on the cover: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA, CC by 2.0Via Wikimedia Commons