Are Deer Dumb?

[kilésengati]

Why are deer scared so easily? Just seen this video where they get chased off by a domestic cat.

https://youtu.be/Xip_k2cXGsc

Deer are much larger and stronger, could've easily trampled or bit that cat, instead scattered scared. I think a moose would've fought the cat.
Thankfully, the cat didn't got hurt, interesting observation still.

And why are deer seemingly intentionally running into cars and cyclists instead of around them?

[Lambros]

Deer like to leap but looking is not their forte.

[🍋 Lemonfed 🍋]

they probably just react on instinct and panic when they see fast moving objects.

[Out Of Bubblegum]

They all have to watch the movie "Bambi" when they are young. It scars them for life and makes them afraid of everything.

[Q-T_3.14.exe]

Deer when they hear a quiet noise: *PANIC!*
Deer when they see a car speeding towards them at 160 km/h: *Stands still on the road and stares at the fast approaching car*

[Fajita Jim]

They are prey animals. They survive by not being there when ♥♥♥♥ goes down.

[kilésengati]

Originally posted by 🍋 Lemonfed 🍋:

they probably just react on instinct and panic when they see fast moving objects.

I wonder if it is really nature or nurture. Like, if they would grow up in a herd of "prey" animals that also fight back, would they still flee?

[🍋 Lemonfed 🍋]

Originally posted by Q-T_3.14.exe:

Deer when they hear a quiet noise: *PANIC!*
Deer when they see a car speeding towards them at 160 km/h: *Stands still on the road and stares at the fast approaching car*

The 160 km/h thing is even more likely to happen in the night when the car headlights are on high and just make the deer temporarily blind.

[Phirestar]

It’s ironic that you’re making fun of deer for being so terrified of a house cat.

Humans do the same thing when they see a 1-inch long spider in their bathtub.

[Q-T_3.14.exe]

Originally posted by Phirestar:

It’s ironic that you’re making fun of deer for being so terrified of a house cat.

Humans do the same thing when they see a 1-inch long spider in their bathtub.

True story. I was lifting weights and a spider crawled on my hand and it made me jump and scream and drop the dumbells on hard tile floor. A dumbell broke without damaging a tile.

[kilésengati]

Originally posted by Phirestar:

It’s ironic that you’re making fun of deer for being so terrified of a house cat.

Humans do the same thing when they see a 1-inch long spider in their bathtub.

Apparently, only about five percent are arachnophobic and about a third reacts feared in some way:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/is-arachnophobia-learned-or-an-inbuilt-instinct

But it's an interesting example. Might be similar with deer. A small percentage of the population are really scared, driving the rest crazy.

Originally posted by Q-T_3.14.exe:

Originally posted by Phirestar:

It’s ironic that you’re making fun of deer for being so terrified of a house cat.

Humans do the same thing when they see a 1-inch long spider in their bathtub.

True story. I was lifting weights and a spider crawled on my hand and it made me jump and scream and drop the dumbells on hard tile floor. A dumbell broke without damaging a tile.

Was the tile made out of Nokia phones?

[Vinz Clortho]

There's a video of a house cat scaring away an alligator. Don't mess around.

[kilésengati]

Originally posted by Charles Solo:

There's a video of a house cat scaring away an alligator. Don't mess around.

The alligator just forgot to bring the BBQ sauce.

[Mauserich]

It depends on the situation. If deer don't see clearly, they run away as a precaution. I think it's a reflex.

[Q-T_3.14.exe]

Originally posted by kilésengati:

Originally posted by Q-T_3.14.exe:

True story. I was lifting weights and a spider crawled on my hand and it made me jump and scream and drop the dumbells on hard tile floor. A dumbell broke without damaging a tile.

Was the tile made out of Nokia phones?

Kyllä.

[Rio]

But um, your brain may cause you a fight or flight response, much like deer to a non-realistic threat (Like the cat).

Like you make get into a heated internet argument and feel very stressed out. Because your brain thought you were in danger. So it releases fight or flight hormones and you stay seated in your chair. And it builds up in your system.

Logically you know there is no threat, but not all parts of your brain system go by long thought out logic.